AUS vs SA Highlights, WTC Final 2025: South Africa 43/4 at stumps on Day 1, trail Australia by 169 runs

Nathan Lyon to Aiden Markram, Flighted up, full on the leg stump, Aiden leans forward and defends it to the leg side.

Nathan Lyon to Aiden Markram, Drops a full ball, on the stumps, around leg. Aiden Markram hangs back and steers it to short mid-wicket.

Nathan Lyon to Aiden Markram, A touch quick, short length off break on middle, Aiden Markram pushes it back to the bowler.

Nathan Lyon to Aiden Markram, A touch fuller, on off, Aiden Markram stills plays it off the back foot as he makes some room and punches it in the gap through the extra cover region. Pat Cummins tracks it down from cover and gets to the ball near the boundary with a slide. There is a third on offer but Bavuma puts his hand up, signalling to Markram that he won't be able to make it.

Nathan Lyon to Aiden Markram, Shorter length off break, on off stump line, Aiden Markram punches it off the back foot, back to the bowler.

Pat Cummins to Temba Bavuma, Outside off, hard length, guided off the back foot to backward point.

Pat Cummins to Temba Bavuma, Straight and full, on off, Temba Bavuma weighs forward, gently punches this straight down the ground and scampers through back for the second run by the time mid off chases the ball.

Pat Cummins to Temba Bavuma, At 137 kph, Cummins bowls this full and on the pads. Temba Bavuma misses his flick shot and the ball rams into his front pad before rolling into the leg side.

Pat Cummins to Temba Bavuma, Full on off, Temba Bavuma plays the off drive to mid off.

Pat Cummins to Temba Bavuma, Again length from Pat Cummins, this time the line is on off, Temba Bavuma comfortably blocks it under his eyes.

The body language of the Aussies has gone down again. Almost how it was in the morning session of Day 2. They are trying hard but with the pitch and ball doing nothing, they are being forced to do that extra hard work, something which they didn't need to do in the last 2 days. Another thing which might be irritating them is the singles being taken by these batters. Without scoring much boundaries, they are going at around 4 an over pretty comfortably. To make matters worse for them, one of them is almost running on one foot. yet taking the runs pretty easily. Pretty soon, the coaches in that Australian dressing room will send down a word to Cummins to bring the field up and stop these singles, before it gets too late.

Pat Cummins to Temba Bavuma, Length ball shaping away, outside off, Temba Bavuma leaves it alone.

Nathan Lyon to Temba Bavuma, Flighted up, fuller and on the stumps. Temba Bavuma with a huge lunge forward, goes for the defensive block, but the ball takes a bit of an outside edge and rolls to the short third region. A single taken. South Africa need 158 more runs to win.

Nathan Lyon to Temba Bavuma, Pulls the length back and slides this across off, Temba Bavuma goes deep in the crease and taps it out.

Nathan Lyon to Aiden Markram, Drops it fuller, does Lyon, on off, from around the stumps. Aiden Markram drills this down to long on. Milks a single.

Nathan Lyon to Aiden Markram, Short and on off, Aiden Markram rocks back and punches it through the extra cover region and takes couple of runs.

Nathan Lyon to Aiden Markram, Full and on middle, Aiden Markram looks to defend it off the front foot, the ball drifts away a touch as it takes the outside half of the bat and rolls along the ground to short cover.

Nathan Lyon to Aiden Markram, This isn't that short, on off, Aiden Markram still rocks on the back foot and pushes it to back to the bowler.

Fresh news coming in from the Aussie camp. Steve Smith has suffered a compound dislocation of his right little finger. He was assessed by the Australian team medical staff at the ground and taken to the hospital for x-rays and further treatment. That effectively rules him out of this Test and possibly out of the Test series in the Caribbean coming up. Matthew Hayden on air feels that Smith will need a surgery for sure and might need around 8 weeks for rehabilitaton. So it will be the home season directly now, for Smudge, ahead of the Ashes. In a way, big chance for Josh Inglis to cement that spot and try to become the next Smith.

Josh Hazlewood to Temba Bavuma, Attacks the stumps, keeping the length full, Bavuma keeps it out to the off side.

Josh Hazlewood to Temba Bavuma, Slanting toward the leg stump line, on a length. Temba Bavuma tucks this across to short mid-wicket.

Josh Hazlewood to Temba Bavuma, Fires it fuller on off, Temba Bavuma taps it out to the point region.

Josh Hazlewood to Temba Bavuma, Length ball on middle, Temba Bavuma flicks it straight to short mid-wicket.

Josh Hazlewood to Temba Bavuma, Full on off, Temba Bavuma presents the full face of the bat and defends it off the front foot to short cover.

Josh Hazlewood to Aiden Markram, Full and drifting on the pads, Aiden Markram flick and misses. The ball hits his front pad and goes into the leg side. Oh it's not given a leg bye. Possibly Aiden got some bat on it. Single taken. And that will bring up the 50-RUN PARTNERSHIP between these two.

Nathan Lyon to Temba Bavuma, Nicely flighted up, full and just outside off. Temba Bavuma defends it out watchfully.

Nathan Lyon to Temba Bavuma, Full in length and on the off stump. Temba Bavuma works this to the point region.

Nathan Lyon to Temba Bavuma, EDGED, FOUR! Floated fuller and angled across off, Temba Bavuma gets on the front foot to guide the ball to the off side, but gets a thick outside edge and the ball beats the biggest wingspans on the field - Beau Webster - at first slip and runs away to the boundary. Bavuma played that with soft hands, so the edge did not carry to the fielder.

Nathan Lyon to Temba Bavuma, Tossed up, fuller on off, Temba Bavuma defends it to short cover.

Nathan Lyon to Temba Bavuma, Again a shorter length, off break, on off, Temba Bavuma covers for the line of the ball and pushes it to short mid-wicket.

Nathan Lyon is given the ball again. 7-2-18-0 so far.

Nathan Lyon to Temba Bavuma, Short on off, Temba Bavuma punches it off the back foot and manages to hit it wide of short mid-wicket. The deep mid-wicket fielder runs to his left and cuts it off. Two runs taken.

Josh Hazlewood to Aiden Markram, Full and wide outside off, Markram puts in a huge lunge and shoulders arms.

Josh Hazlewood to Aiden Markram, Full and straight, Aiden Markram looks to flick but misses and is hit on the pads. Josh Hazlewood appeals for LBW but the umpire turns it down. No real support from behind and eventually, Hazlewood himself accepts that it would have gone down the leg side.

Josh Hazlewood to Temba Bavuma, That's another fine pull shot. A short ball, outside off, Temba Bavuma swivels again, lifting his front leg and pulling it to deep backward square leg for a single. 169 more needed.

Josh Hazlewood to Temba Bavuma, Full on off, Temba Bavuma defends it to mid off, showing the full face of the bat. 

Josh Hazlewood to Temba Bavuma, Length ball skidding off the surface, Temba Bavuma steers it down to the vacant deep third region. The fielder from deep backward point runs to his left and cuts it off near the boundary. Meanwhile, the batters complete two runs.

Josh Hazlewood to Temba Bavuma, Good length ball around off, Temba Bavuma defends it off the back foot towards short cover.

A couple of shouts coming out for Temba Bavuma to get retired hurt. The worry amongst the fans is that he might just derail the momentum and also, a new batter with fresh legs can take quicker runs. While that is a fair point, one needs to understand that it is not always easy to retire hurt and then come back again to play, if needed. Sometimes, muscles injuries get cold which don't allow the body to recover once it gets a decent amount of rest. Hence, these days, players prefer to keep on playing and keep the body moving and the blood flowing. One can remember that game between Australia and Afghanistan in the 2023 ODI World Cup, where Glenn Maxwell refused to retire hurt and the next, as we know, became history.  So, on a big day, at the big stage, Bavuma is doing a Big Show.

Pat Cummins to Temba Bavuma, That's nicely played. A short ball, around off, Bavuma tests his hamstring again as he lifts his front leg and pivots on the pull, playing it all along the ground through square leg, for a run. The stand moves to 40 (68).

Change in the field. Slip goes to short mid-wicket. Gully moves to first slip. There is a deep mid-wicket and a deep square leg in place.

Pat Cummins to Aiden Markram, Full and straight, this time Markram manages to get it wide of mid on, to his left and takes the single.

Pat Cummins to Aiden Markram, Full and straight, Aiden Markram offers the full face of his bat and pushes it down the ground. Sets off for a single but then changes his mind as mid on gets across quickly.

Pat Cummins to Aiden Markram, A touch fuller and on midddle, Aiden Markram comfortably blocks it back to the bowler.

Pat Cummins to Aiden Markram, Oh! Uneven bounce! Length ball that rises sharply. Aiden Markram was lunging in front to defend it and is taken aback by the extra bounce as the ball hits the upper part of his bat and rolls into the off side.

Pat Cummins to Temba Bavuma, Length ball on off, Temba Bavuma defends it off the front foot to the left of short cover and takes a single.

Josh Hazlewood to Temba Bavuma, Landed outside off, Temba Bavuma just presses forward for a defense, opens the face of his bat at the last moment and takes a single in front of point.

Josh Hazlewood to Aiden Markram, Outside off, steered through point for a single.

Josh Hazlewood to Aiden Markram, And Hazlewood celebrates! For half a second. Because he then realizes that it is not a wicket. On a length, outside off, cuts back in sharply, Aiden Markram looks to punch but the late movement takes the inside edge and nearly goes onto the stumps. Goes wide of fine leg and it is another couple of runs taken by the batters. That hamstring is getting worked over nicely for Bavuma.

Josh Hazlewood to Temba Bavuma, Length ball angling into the right hander, on middle leg, Temba Bavuma works it square of the wicket towards deep square leg for a single.