Mitchell Starc's Historic Knock: A Bowler's Grit at Lord's

In a remarkable display of resilience, Australian pacer Mitchell Starc etched his name in the history books, becoming the first cricketer batting at number nine or lower to strike a half-century in an ICC tournament knockout match. Known for his bowling acumen, Starc revealed an unexpected dimension of his game during the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) clash against South Africa at Lord's.

Starc managed a gritty 58 not out from 136 balls, including five boundaries, partnering with Josh Hazlewood for a vital last-wicket 59-run stand. This was Starc's 11th Test half-century, with eight coming from number nine or below — the most in Test history. He joins Stuart Broad as the only players to record five or more such scores in England.

Australia, after being sent in to bat by South Africa, struggled initially at 67/4. Contributions from Steve Smith and Beau Webster aided in rebuilding but South Africa's Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen kept pressure, dismissing Aussies for 212. The Proteas also faltered, facing Pat Cummins' historic spell of 6/28, and were bowled out for 138, giving Australia a lead of 74. In their second innings, despite a shaky start, partnerships from Starc and the tail enders set South Africa a target of 282 runs. Notable bowling figures for South Africa included Rabada with 4/59 and Lungi Ngidi with 3/38. (ANI)

(With inputs from agencies.)