Quicks on fire as Aussies roar back into WTC final

First-over king Mitchell Starc has sparked an Australian fightback late on day one of the World Test Championship final after his side were bowled out for 212 in a fast-moving opening to the biennial Test showpiece.

South Africa spearhead Kagiso Rabada had earlier vindicated his captain's bold decision to bowl first in the WTC decider as the Proteas made a bright start in their quest to overturn their painful history at ICC events to win their first major title.

But Starc brought their momentum to a grinding halt six balls into their batting innings, striking for the 19th time in the first over of a Test innings as Aiden Markram chopped on for a duck.

Steve Smith (66) and Beau Webster's (72) counterattack after lunch ensured the Aussie attack had something to bowl at, the pair's 79-run fifth-wicket stand helping the reigning WTC champions avert disaster after slipping to 4-67 at the main interval.

Starc's magnificent opening spell (2-10 from seven overs) could have been even better, but wicketkeeper Alex Carey missed a golden opportunity to have the Proteas two down early, shelling rookie No.3 Wiaan Mulder on one as he flashed hard at a full delivery from the Australian left-armer.

The Aussie 'keeper got himself in quite a tangle as he moved to his right down the iconic Lord's slope, barely laying a glove on it as it slammed into his chest before both player and ball dropped to the turf in agonising unison.

Khawaja made no such mistake at first slip a few overs later as Starc lured an outside edge from Ryan Rickelton who couldn't resist pushing at a full delivery following a couple of booming straight drives.

Carey was off the hook as the shadows lengthened on day one, with Mulder, in just his second innings as SA's first choice No.3, failed to make most of his reprieve.

The right-hander got off the mark from his first delivery faced but then took another 35 balls to find his second run before skipper Pat Cummins (1-14) put him out of his misery with a delivery that nipped back and crashed into the stumps, sending Mulder on his way for six from 44 balls faced.

Proteas captain Temba Bavuma also took 31 balls to register his first run as any momentum they had from their bowling innings stalled as quickly as the scoreboard, while Josh Hazlewood (1-10) castled Tristan Stubbs (2) for his first wicket in his return to the Test side.

Bavuma went to stumps unbeaten on three from 37 balls with David Bedingham at the other end on a contrastingly swift eight not out from nine balls faced, with SA 4-43 after 22 overs.

After becoming the leading overseas batter at Lord's during his 112-ball knock, Smith said Australia's day "could have been even better" if not for a few missed opportunities in their batting innings.

"We're in a good spot (but) we probably had a few missed opportunities with the bat to try and get a bigger total," Smith told media after play.

"I think the wicket has offered something all day and we're in a pretty good position, 169 in front.

"They're four down so we're in a decent spot. Hopefully, it does a little bit in the morning (on day two) like it did today."

Rabada earlier claimed his second five-wicket haul in as many matches at Lord's as Australia were bowled out inside 57 overs early in the final session.

Skipper Bavuma inserted Australia's new-look top three of Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne and Cameron Green on a gloomy London morning and they succumbed to the relentless pressure from Rabada (5-51) and new ball partner Marco Jansen (3-49).

Khawaja and Labuschagne were Australia's seventh different opening pair of the WTC cycle – the most by any team – but Rabada made sure their union was short-lived as he struck twice in four balls in his fourth over.

Khawaja was first to go for a 20-ball duck, squared up by a ball that just left him a touch off the pitch into the waiting hands of Bedingham at first slip.

Rabada's second three balls later was a peach – full and angling in towards the leg stump, it decked sharply towards off and there was little Green could do to avoid it finding the edge of his bat.

The catch by Markram at second slip was just as good, hanging onto the chance low down around his ankles as Mulder flung himself across from third slip.

Labuschagne, Australia's fifth opener since David Warner's retirement, was beginning to look comfortable amid his 56-ball stay but fell into old habits on 17 when he pushed at a full ball outside off-stump and offered a simple chance that 'keeper Kyle Verreynne gladly accepted.

Towering left-armer Jansen stuck again before lunch to have the world's No-1 ranked Test side reeling at 4-67 when 2023 WTC final centurion Travis Head was strangled down the leg-side on what turned out to be the final ball of the session.

Smith and Webster added 50 runs in 78 balls after the break, the latter overcoming a shaky start in his first appearance at Lord's to top score for the innings.

Having started with a flurry of inside edges and plays and misses, the Tasmanian allrounder also survived a review that showed 'umpire's call' and escaped another when the Proteas opted not to refer despite replays later showing the ball hitting halfway up middle stump.

But once he got going, Webster proved difficult to stop, standing tall to thump Lungi Ngidi (0-45) to the cover fence off the back foot before also launching him for a straight pull off that crashed into the rope near the members' pavilion.

He reached his second Test fifty from 69 balls, nudging allrounder Mulder to deep point and acknowledging the warm applause from crowd by raising his bat above his imposing 200cm frame.

Smith had earlier reached his 18th half-century or better in England – a record for a touring batter – before his 51st run made him the highest overseas run-scorer at Lord's, overtaking Australian Warren Bardsley (575) who had held the mantle for almost 100 years.

But just as Smith appeared to be setting himself for another addition to the Lord's honour board, Markram's part-time spin conjured a wicket from nowhere as Jansen just held onto the prized scalp at slip on his third juggling attempt.

As easily as Australia put on 123 runs for the loss of just one wicket in the second session, the Proteas just as quickly ripped through the lower order in the third to claim the final five Aussie wickets in less than seven overs after tea.

Spinner Keshav Maharaj provided the initial spark as Alex Carey (23) misjudged a reverse sweep and yorked himself, while Rabada produced another beauty to remove Cummins' (1) off stump in the next over.

Webster became Rabada's next victim in the paceman's following over as the end came quickly for Australia, with Nathan Lyon bowled by Jansen before Rabada cleaned up Starc to wrap up the innings and add his name to the honour board in the home changerooms following his acknowledgement as an away player during his last visit to Lord's.

Starc's terrific opening spell and Cummins and Hazlewood's final-hour breakthroughs made it nine wickets in the final session as the game sped up rapidly in the closing stages of day one.

World Test Championship Final

June 11-15: South Africa v Australia, Lord's

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Australia XI: Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Beau Webster, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood

South Africa XI: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Wiaan Mulder, Temba Bavuma (c), Tristan Stubbs, David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi