[NomadSK]

What a beautiful disciplined display of bowling from both teams, a treat to watch !!

212 looks a decent score now. SA reeling @ 43/4 at the end of day 1, they have lost the track on day-1 only and will have to chase the game from behind.

Doubt it will last more than 3 days. Interesting games on cards !!

[AtheK]

Originally Posted by NomadSK

What a beautiful disciplined display of bowling from both teams, a treat to watch !!

212 looks a decent score now. SA reeling @ 43/4 at the end of day 1, they have lost the track on day-1 only and will have to chase the game from behind.

Doubt it will last more than 3 days. Interesting games on cards !!

Might just wrap up tomorrow of all you know. Test cricket should ideally be moved to 4 days now, hardly see games going to 5th day, batsman have lost the art of playing long.

[NomadSK]

Watching it with somber mood because of air crash.

The chokers have kept their tags alive all out at 138 in their first innings, Captain Cummins doing most of the damage. With a lead of 74 for Aussies, it’s almost a game over for chokers !!

It would be an enticing match to watch, if any other result comes out.

[NPV]

Very well poised at the moment with superlative bowling by South Africa. Aus are 78/7.
With the lead already above 150, it won’t be easy but gives South Africa that one chance to make history with a great 4th inning chase!

[AtheK]

Australian players are built different, 74/7 to 207 last pair added 49 run partnership, this is what champions are made of!!

SA will be highly demoralized with this fightback, if they can chase 281 runs down they will truly deserve the ICC championship, but I don't see that happening.

[NomadSK]

Australia and South Africa players have come out wearing black armbands during the World Test Championship, to mourn the death of people during a tragic plane crash in Ahmedabad, India.

SA needs 282 runs to win the world test championship, last wicket almost played one full session with Starc scoring a 50. I hope SA can cross the line and bury the tag of chokers, highly unlikely with the pace attack Aussies have.

By the way they have given too many no-balls (20+) in this test match, I hope that’s not the difference between winning and losing. This is the best day considered for batting at lords so hope SA can make full use of the batting conditions.

[NPV]

South Africa let their guard down and Aus made the best of it to get an excellent score in these conditions. It’s going to be an uphill task for South Africa chasing down 282 in the fourth inning, but yes statistically they’re in with a chance and I’d love for them to win this and create history.

[khanmaj]

SA is slowly inching towards the target but the game can change if one or two wicket falls here.

Rooting for SA. Keep the partnership going guys you can do it. Just don't loose a wicket for another 30 runs and you will be home!

[NomadSK]

What a test match unfolding.

69 more to get on 4th day, cloud cover with expected rains. Would be an interesting game to watch. Cummins gun record of captaincy would be at stake.

Lord’s 3rd day wicket is best for batting has kept its word. What a turnaround by South Africa. Hopefully the chokers monkey would be off their back, fingers crossed.

Markram has played some memorable knocks in his test career. Had he been more consistent, he could've gone on to become a test great. Hopefully his best years are still ahead. What a beautiful patient determined full of concentration and chance less innings. Typical orthodox test cricket of grind and grind. Beautiful test hundred at lords in WTC finals and taking the team near winnings line, the name worth etching on the walls.

What a knock from Bavuma though too, with hamstring issue (?) although dropped by Smith quite early in the innings, Both him and Bavuma would go on to become South African cricketing heroes if they go on to win this and this would revive a bit of test cricket and SA vs Aussie rivalry would continue beyond sand gate.

And when one thinks just over 18 months ago, many of their star players were playing SA20 over test cricket. SA must be loving this underdog status but hope they don't choke it from here.

Those SA fans have been drinking all day and have created a football like atmosphere in the stadium.

[AtheK]

The chokers tag finally going to go off...

[It's Magic]

It looks like South Africa need 69 runs to win, with 8 wickets in hand and 2 days remaining. The Test has been nicely poised.

Will the break in play disrupt the momentum of the South African batsmen, or will they be able to carry on and win the final? It will be interesting to see.

Originally Posted by NomadSK

SA must be loving this underdog status but hope they don't choke it from here.

Originally Posted by AtheK

The chokers tag finally going to go off...

Yes, it will be interesting to see if they can hold their nerve and get over the line.

Let’s hope they don’t choke from here.

[Torq-D]

What an Innings! Hats off to Markram. Sheer brilliance from both Markram and Captain Bavuma. Like millions others, really wish for SA to lift the WTC cup.
Happy to see ABD as well supporting his team.
Way to go SA.

[NomadSK]

MCC introduces major boundary rule change.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) and Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) are implementing a new catching rule in cricket from October 2026 that will prohibit the 'bunny-hop' catches where fielders jump and touch the ball while being outside the boundary. IMO that was one of the weirdest rule among many in the game of cricket, good that it will be taken down.

The rule change will still allow catches where fielders push the ball from within the boundary, step out, and dive back to complete the catch, but any contact with the ball from outside the boundary will require the fielder to land inside the field of play for the catch to count.

Link

[Eddy]

I am not saying anything till the last run is scored (or God forbid, till the last wicket falls).

SA has a track record of choking, while Australia never gives up!

[NomadSK]

Originally Posted by Eddy

SA has a track record of choking, while Australia never gives up!

If SA manage to choke from here, then it will be worst choke they ever had, much bigger than the inconsequential t-20 defeat to India in a World Cup final.

They still need these two to have sustained composure in a very tense scenario with expected overcast conditions, 69 is a good enough score for Aussie great pace attack to defend, if pitch, conditions suits them somehow. I hope they don’t allow the Aussie pacers to let the foot in the door, they must be missing Boland in the playing XI.

By the way, It's the year of the firsts

-PSG
-Hobart Hurricanes
-RCB

Having said that, first hour of today would be the key, I hope we can add SA to the list