Cricket: Australia lose Labuschagne and Head before lunch, as South Africa take four wickets in a dominant morning session on Day 1 of the World Test Championship.
Kagiso Rabada returns from ban with a bang; Marnus Labuschagne ‘frustrating to watch’ in new role: WTC Final Talking PointsJune 12th, 2025 3:42 am
Get all the latest cricket news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail.Source: Getty ImagesFollowing an Australia A win over India A at the MCG last November, Beau Webster declared his readiness to play Test cricket. The “Slug” from Snug rode his luck early on when fortunate to survive a review from a Marco Jansen delivery that was striking middle stump, with the umpire’s call standing, and then a delivery from Kagiso Rabada that hit him directly in front when on eight.
“It was a bit of a waft from Webster. He didn’t move. This is huge. He was the man who was set. He could have done some damage with the tail,” Pietersen said.When Kagiso Rabada broke his silence of a controversial positive drug test that saw him banned for one month during the IPL season, he declared that “life moves on” and he was never going to be “Mr. I apologise too much”.
Rabada demonstrated once again why he is a champion when inking his name on to the Honour Board at Lord’s for the second time with a five wicket haul that began with the wicket of Usman Khawaja and ended with Mitchell Starc losing his stumps. “In a big final, the first spell is particularly important … and the coaches were very keen to make sure they got it right.”
Mitchell Starc’s reputation as the ultimate strike bowler stood him in good stead on a day where the Dukes ball was swinging and seaming in what proved an extremely challenging day for both Australian and South African batters. Starc continued to pepper the South African top order and was able to Ryan Rickelton, who was out due to a superb catch from Usman Khawaja, for 16. His figures for the first spell demonstrate just how dazzling he was; 7-3-10-2.
Having averaged 28.33 during this World Test Championship cycle, Marnus Labuschagne would have been feeling immense pressure to perform in this week’s marquee fixture against South Africa at Lord’s. Ultimately, the national selectors remained loyal to Australia’s incumbent No. 3, reinventing the right-hander as a makeshift opener to create a vacancy in the middle order for Green. Labuschagne had never previously opened the batting at Test level, but boasted multiple hundreds at the top of the order in the County Championship.
And with the innings delicately poised at 2-46, Labuschagne fell victim to tall seamer Marco Jansen after pressing at a length delivery he could have left alone, edging through to wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne.
Immense Pressure Starts Swinging England Australian Captain Honour Board Overcast Morning Stuart Broad Makeshift Opener South African Champion Wicket Haul Marquee Fixture Positive Intent Length Delivery Alan Donald Northern Europe Strike Bowler Australian Mark Morning Session Europe Africa South African Skipper Session Courtesy David Bedingham Facing Seam Bowlers New Zealand Temba Bavuma Sam Konstas London Cloud Cover South Africa Press Conference Sky Sports Beau Webster Courtney Walsh Mitchell Starc Controversial Positive Drug Alex Carey Marco Jansen Cameron Green Usman Khawaja Kevin Pietersen Oceania Pat Cummins South African Batters Nasser Hussain Teenage Opener Bold Declaration Ian Smith Positive Test Personal Reasons Australia And New Zealand United Kingdom Ball Bowling South African Opener Tall Seamer Consecutive Dot Balls Premier Paceman South African Top Order Champion Fast Bowler Fantastic Catching Rare Missteps Australian Order Partial Credit Australian Conditions Call Standing Southern Africa Australia Pressure Back Queensland Rare Blunder
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