New Delhi, June 13 (IANS) Mitchell Starc’s composed half-century and a gutsy 59-run last-wicket stand with Josh Hazlewood have left South Africa chasing a psychologically daunting target of 282 in the ICC World Test Championship Final at Lord’s in London. on Friday

While Starc’s unbeaten 58 was pivotal in pushing Australia to 207 in their second innings, it was the sheer defiance of the final-wicket pair that truly turned the tide, frustrating South Africa and shifting the mental balance.

Speaking on Cricket Live, JioStar expert Sanjay Bangar underlined the importance of Australia’s lower-order application: “Starc and Hazlewood showed a lot of faith in their defensive techniques… In the end, the application shown by both batters stood out. Now, South Africa will have to chase down 281, which is probably 30–40 runs more than they would have ideally liked,” Bangar said, highlighting how the final-wicket resistance may have inflated South Africa’s target beyond their comfort zone.

Starc, who was dropped on 14 in the final over of day two, made South Africa pay dearly. On a sunlit third morning where the pitch eased out for batting, he added 44 more runs in a composed fashion, bringing up his first Test fifty since 2019 in the process.

He reached the milestone with a thick edge flying over the slips, symbolic of the streaky yet effective manner of his knock. Hazlewood played the perfect foil, stonewalling the other end for 22.2 overs in a historic tenth-wicket stand—the highest in any men’s ICC championship final.

Bangar praised Starc’s simplicity and mental clarity: “Starc has a very organised technique… He wasn’t thinking too far ahead; this could very well be the most valuable of his 11 Test half-centuries.”

He also emphasised the toll the stand took on South Africa: “It expended a lot of mental energy. Keeping South Africa longer on the field has certainly created mental dents in their setup.”

From South Africa’s perspective, Kagiso Rabada led the bowling effort with 4-59, backed by Lungi Ngidi’s 3-38. But their bowling lacked the incisiveness needed to wrap up the tail quickly. The 22 extras, including 10 no-balls, added to the pressure.

Former Australian opener Matthew Hayden echoed Bangar’s views, highlighting the courage of the tailenders: “That was a critical wag of the tail… Rabada bowled his heart out, but this stand has changed the dynamic. To chase down 282, the top three South African batters have to step up. It’s going to take courage and clarity.”

South Africa head into a chase that would require the joint-second highest successful fourth-innings target at Lord’s.

–IANS

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