SA vs AUS, WTC Final 2025: Did Australia's top-order underestimate Rabada and Jansen?

Australia’s top order crumbled on Day 1 of the WTC Final against South Africa, with Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen exploiting overcast conditions at Lord’s to leave the Aussies struggling at 67/4 by lunch.

It is not a morning to remember for Australia as the defending champions’ top-order batters struggled to get going in the first session of Day 1 of the World Test Championship Final 2025 against South Africa at Lord’s on Wednesday, June 11.

Proteas skipper Temba Bavuma won the toss and decided to bowl first against the Pat Cummins-led Australia to take advantage of the overcast conditions and a fresh Lord’s pitch offering early seam and swing movement. Bowling on the Lord’s pitch under cloudy skies, the South African bowlers, especially Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen, made full use of the conditions, extracting sharp movement and bounce to give Australia batters a tough time at the crease.

South Africa's pacers did not let Australia’s top-order of the line-up settle in as the pitch was offering lateral movement and uneven bounce, exposing technical flaws and early mistakes that led to quick wickets before lunch.

Australia’s top-order frailties exposed under cloudy conditions

Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen were too hot to handle for Australia’s top-order batters as they were rattled by pace, swing, and bounce, with both pacers striking early to remove key wickets in the first session of Day 1 of the WTC Final. Australia’s top order could not withstand the relentless pressure and precision of the South African duo, as they struggled to judge the swing of the ball, often found themselves playing away from their bodies.

Rabada, who is playing his first international match after serving a one-match ban for testing positive for cocaine, led the Proteas’ pace attack brilliantly in the first hour of the first session. The 30-year-old started by dismissing Australia opener Usman Khawaja for a 20-ball duck after the sharp edge flew to second slip, where David Bedingham completed a low catch to give South Africa an early breakthrough in the seventh over of the innings.

In the same over, Kagiso Rabada conceded a four against Cameron Green before removing him for 4, leaving Australia reeling at 16/2. These two wickets set the tone for South Africa’s dominance in the opening session.

After Rabada put early pressure on Australia, Marco Jansen capitalized brilliantly by using his height and angle to extract awkward bounce, dismissing Marnus Labuschagne, who looked to defend the ball but ended up nicking it and went straight into the hands of Kyle Verreynne, who made no mistakes behind the stumps. Labuschagne’s dismissal for 17 further dented Australia’s hopes of stabilizing the innings, as Jansen’s relentless probing at right line and length and off-stump line kept the batters guessing under testing conditions.

Before Lunch break, Marco Jansen managed to get rid of dangerous Travis Head, who looked a little unsettled against the moving ball, attempted to flick the ball away with his back foot, but ended up with a slight edge that went straight to Verreynne, who brilliantly dived to take the catch. Head was dismissed for just 13 and Australia were 67/4 after 23 overs at the end of the first session, with Steve Smith and Beau Webster batting on 26 and 11, respectively.

Was Australia's top order underprepared for Rabada and Jansen?

Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen exploited every ounce of assistance offered by the Lord’s surface, coupled with South African skipper Temba Bavuma’s astute decision to bowl first under overcast conditions, which boosted the impact of their new-ball burst and exposed the vulnerability and lack of adaptability by Australia's top order.

The first session of Day 1 clearly showed that Australia's top-order batters, especially Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne, struggled to adapt to challenging conditions, often playing away from the body and often misjudging the movement of the ball.

The disciplined spell by Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen in the opening session exposed Australia’s top-order lack of preparedness to counter a new ball attack under challenging conditions at Lord’s, indicating that they underestimated both the lateral movement and bounce that the South African pacer extracted during that sizzling session. Lack of judgement over lateral and uneven bounce left Australia scrambling in the first session without adjusting their mindset or technique to handle the overcast Lord’s conditions.

Australia will now rely on key batter Steve Smith and Beau Webster to steady the ship and rebuild innings through a good partnership that can weather the storm and guide them to a competitive first innings total.