SA vs AUS ICC WTC 2025 Final Day 2 Stat Highlights: Australia, South Africa Trade Blows in Equally-Matched Encounter

The South Africa vs Australia ICC WTC (World Test Championship) 2025 final is delicately balanced after an enthralling Day 2 where 14 wickets fell, on Thursday, June 12. Australia finished Day 2 at 144/8, with a lead of 218 runs. South Africa began Day 2 on a strong note in a bid to overhaul Australia's first innings total of 212 but after a decent first session, their batting fell apart. Captain Pat Cummins was the wrecker-in-chief in the post-lunch session, scalping six wickets en route to becoming the eighth Australian bowler to get to 300 Test wickets. He registered figures of 6/28, which is the best by a captain at the Lord's Cricket Ground. Australia bowled out South Africa for just 138 runs and would have been delighted with a 74-run lead, but the Proteas had other plans. Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi triggered a big Australia collapse, leaving them reeling at 73/7 at one stage before Alex Carey's 43 and Mitchell Starc's 16* helped the defending champions claw back into the contest. Their 61-run partnership enabled Australia's lead to get past the 200-run mark. Pat Cummins and co have a lead of 218 runs and they would look to add as many runs as possible on Day 3, with only two wickets left in the bag.