South Africa Eye Historic Chase at Lord’s
News Desk
Islamabad: South Africa remain optimistic about chasing down a challenging target to win the World Test Championship final at Lord’s, even as the match has been dominated by bowlers.
David Bedingham, who top-scored with 45 in South Africa’s modest first-innings total of 138, said the team still believes they can overcome whatever target Australia sets.
Australia, the defending champions, already lead by 218 runs with two wickets remaining in their second innings. They will resume batting on Friday, aiming to extend that advantage and make South Africa’s task even tougher.
“It’s an incredible opportunity, and we’re all genuinely excited about the chance to win,” Bedingham said after day two. “The match could go either way, but there’s a strong sense of belief in the dressing room.”
However, with 28 wickets falling over the first two days, bowlers have clearly held the advantage, and South Africa’s chances of pulling off an upset appear slim.
“When you’ve got six high-quality seamers operating on a difficult pitch, batting becomes really tough. But I think the surface has slowed down a bit. Edges aren’t carrying like before,” Bedingham explained.
“In the fourth innings, we might see the bowlers coming a bit straighter, and hopefully, we can capitalize and get the runs.”
He acknowledged that Australia’s bowling attack, particularly Pat Cummins who took six wickets on Thursday, was exceptionally difficult to face.
“They didn’t give us any bad balls – and that’s why they’re the best in the world,” Bedingham said. “Going forward, our focus is to counter that and try to win the World Test Championship. The key is total commitment—whether defending or attacking. Against this attack, if you’re uncertain, you’re in trouble.”
History suggests a successful chase at Lord’s is possible, though rare. England chased 277 against New Zealand in 2022, the third-highest successful fourth-innings chase at the ground. The highest remains 342 by West Indies against England in 1984. Other notable chases include 282 by England in 2004 and 218 in 1965—both against New Zealand.
