Australia Stages Stirring Fightback in WTC Final at Lord's

On the opening day of the World Test Championship Final at Lord's, Australia displayed remarkable resilience, recovering from a precarious position in their face-off against South Africa. By tea, the Australians had reached 190/5 after initially struggling at 67/4 under a fierce South African pace attack.

The shift in momentum came courtesy of Steve Smith and all-rounder Beau Webster. Smith, known for his formidable presence at Lord's, played a pivotal innings, contributing 66 runs in a performance marked by ten well-timed boundaries. His partnership with Webster added a crucial 79 runs, stabilizing the innings at a time when Australia was teetering.

Webster anchored the innings following Smith's departure, remaining unbeaten on 55. His aggressive approach, complemented by Alex Carey's quickfire 22, underscored Australia's tenacity. With these efforts, Australia set a solid foundation as they entered the final session, aiming to capitalize further on their comeback.

(With inputs from agencies.)