South African fast bowler Lungi Ngidi remains confident about his side’s chances despite trailing Australia by 218 runs at the close of Day 2 in the World Test Championship (WTC) final at Lord’s.
South Africa resumed their innings on the second day but were dismissed for just 138 runs, despite a solid 64-run stand between Temba Bavuma and David Bedingham, the latter top-scoring with 45. Australia’s captain Pat Cummins delivered a sensational post-lunch spell, claiming 6 for 28—his best Test figures as skipper and the best ever by a captain at Lord’s.
In response, South Africa fought back strongly. Taking advantage of favourable conditions, Ngidi and Kagiso Rabada led the charge, triggering a collapse in Australia’s second innings and reducing them to 144 for 8 by stumps. Ngidi believes that dismissing the remaining batters early on Day 3 could put South Africa in a strong position to chase down the target.
We’re very much in the game: Ngidi
Speaking at the end of play, Ngidi said: “We’re still very much in the game. They bowled well, but we stuck to our task. The coach reminded us to play with intent—if you’re going to go out, do it on your own terms. You might be the one who changes the match.”
After going wicketless in the first innings, Ngidi responded with three crucial scalps in the second, including the prized wicket of Steve Smith. The right-armer admitted to struggling with rhythm initially but felt much improved after the tea break.
“I couldn’t find my rhythm in the first innings—it felt like I was battling myself. After tea, I just focused on settling into a spell. Once things began to click, I kept building on that momentum,” he said. “The crowd chanting my name gave me an extra lift. It helped me power through a long spell.”
While Australia maintain a solid lead on a challenging Lord’s surface, South Africa will be hoping to clean up the tail quickly on Day 3 to avoid chasing a steep fourth-innings target. The third day could be the deciding one.
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