Kagiso Rabada produced a fiery spell of fast bowling to claim a five-wicket haul, helping South Africa bundle out Australia for just 212 on the opening day of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final at Lord’s. The Proteas pacer finished with outstanding figures of 5 for 51 in 15.4 overs, marking his second five-wicket haul at the historic London venue.

Captain Temba Bavuma’s decision to bowl first under overcast skies paid immediate dividends. Rabada set the tone early with a devastating double strike in a single over, reducing the reigning champions to 16/2. He dismissed Usman Khawaja for a 20-ball duck, inducing a thick edge to the slips, and followed it up by removing Cameron Green for four runs via a brilliant low catch by Aiden Markram.

The Australian top order continued to falter under pressure from South Africa’s disciplined seam attack. Steve Smith and all-rounder Beau Webster were left with the task of rebuilding the innings. The pair steadied the ship with a crucial 79-run stand for the fifth wicket. Smith, in particular, looked composed and collected against both pace and spin, reaching a well-crafted 66 before falling to the unlikely spin of Markram.