Australia, jo defending champions hain, aur South Africa, jo apna pehla ICC title jeetne ke liye bechain hain, ke beech yeh match ek kathor sangharsh ka wada karta hai. Par din ke shuru mein, aisa laga jaise dono team ke batsmen bowlers ke aage bebas ho rahe hain. Australia ki batting line-up, jo apne star players ke liye jani jati hai, pehle session mein hi South Africa ke teekhe attack ke samne darr gayi. Kagiso Rabada, South Africa ke teevra gendbaaz, ne apni shandaar form dikhayi aur 5 wickets lekar Australia ko 212 par samet diya. Yeh ek aisa score tha jo shayad hi kisi ko final ke liye kaafi lagta.
Australia ki shuruaat kharab rahi jab unke top-order batsmen, jaise Usman Khawaja aur Cameron Green, Rabada ke samne tik nahi paye. Rabada ne 15.4 overs mein 5-51 ke shandaar figures ke saath apna naam Lord’s ke honours board par dobara likhwaya. Unhone Khawaja aur Green ko jaldi pavillion bheja, aur team 67/4 par ladkhada rahi thi. Yeh wahi Rabada hain jo 2018 mein Australia ke khilaf ek Test match mein 6 wickets le chuke hain, aur unka yeh performance unki class ka saboot tha. South Africa ke liye yeh ek umda shuruaat thi, aur unke fans ke chehre par muskurahat thi, kyunki unhone socha ki shayad yeh unka din hai.
Lekin jaise hi din dhalta gaya, Australia ke do batsmen, Steve Smith aur Beau Webster, ne apni zimmedari samjhi aur team ko mushkil se nikala. Steve Smith, jo Lord’s mein apne shandaar record ke liye jane jate hain, ne 66 runs banaye, jismein 10 chauke shamil the. Unhone Warren Bardsley aur Sir Don Bradman jaise legends ko peechhe chhodte hue Lord’s mein sabse zyada runs banane wale visiting batsman ka record banaya, ab tak 591 runs ke saath. Smith ka yeh performance unke 2015 Ashes double century ki yaad dilata hai, jab unhone England ke bowlers ko dhota tha. Beau Webster ne bhi apna josh dikhaya, 72 runs ke saath apna doosra Test fifty banaya. Yeh dono batsmen ne 79 runs ki partnership ki, jo Australia ke liye jeewan daan sabit hui. Webster, jo ek naye player hain, ne dikhaya ki woh bade mauke par bhi apna dam dikha sakte hain. Unki yeh innings unke County cricket ke anubhav ka natija thi, jahan unhone Dukes ball ke saath khelna seekha.
South Africa ke liye, Rabada ke alaawa Marco Jansen ne bhi apna yogdaan diya, 3 wickets lekar. Unka ek shandaar catch, jismein unhone Aiden Markram ke spin bowling par Smith ko out kiya, game ka turning point raha. Yeh yaad dilata hai 1999 World Cup ke uss run-out ka, jab South Africa ke haath se ek bada mauka chhoot gaya tha. Par is baar, unke bowlers ne apna kaam bakhoobi kiya. Lungi Ngidi aur Wiaan Mulder thodi kami dikhaye, par Rabada aur Jansen ke saamne yeh baat chhoti lagti thi.
Jab South Africa ki batting shuru hui, toh Australia ke teevra gendbaaz—Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, aur Josh Hazlewood—ne apna rang dikhaya. Starc ne pehle hi over mein Aiden Markram ko zero par out kar diya, aur phir Ryan Rickelton ko bhi pavillion bhej diya. Cummins aur Hazlewood ne ek-ek wicket lekar South Africa ko 43/4 par la diya, jo Australia ke 212 ke score se 169 runs peechhe tha. Yeh ek aisa pal tha jab 2005 Ashes ke pehle din ki yaad aayi, jab Glenn McGrath ne England ke batsmen ko tabah kiya tha. South Africa ke liye, yeh ek bura sapna tha—unke batsmen, jaise Tristan Stubbs aur Wiaan Mulder, Australian pace ke samne bebas nazar aaye.
South Africa ke fans ke liye, yeh ek ummeed bhara din tha. Rabada ka fifer aur Jansen ka shandaar bowling unhe ek mauka deta hai. Temba Bavuma, jo abhi bhi crease par hain, aur David Bedingham ke saath, team ko sambhalne ka zimma hai. Yeh dono batsmen, agar 1998 ICC Knockout Trophy ki tarah apna dam dikha sake, toh South Africa ke liye ek nayi kahani likhi ja sakti hai. Unka yeh mauka hai apne “chokers” ke tag ko hamesha ke liye mitaane ka.
Lekin jaise hi din khatam hua, Australia ke bowlers ka dabdaba saaf dikhayi diya. South Africa ke batsmen ke liye kal ka din ek badi chunauti hai. Agar woh jaldi wickets girte rahe, toh yeh match unke haath se nikal sakta hai. Lord’s ka yeh maidan, jo cricket ka ghar kaha jata hai, ek baar phir se ek kathor jung ka gawah ban raha hai, aur South Africa ko apna sabse bada sapna poora karne ke liye apne aap ko saabit karna hoga.
