Pat Cummins, Australia ke bade-bade captain, bol rahe hain ki “runs toh kam ho rahe hain, match teen din mein hi khatam ho jayega.” Arre, Cummins bhai, itna bhi ghamand thik nahi! South Africa ki team, Temba Bavuma ke netritva mein, bilkul jhukne wali nahi hai. Unke dil mein ek aag hai, aur woh is mauke ko haath se jaane nahi denge. Yeh World Test Championship (WTC) final hai, aur Proteas ke liye yeh ek itihasik pal ban sakta hai, jaise 1998 mein unhone Champions Trophy jeeti thi.
Lord’s ka pitch toh waise bhi koi asaan nahi hai. Fast bowlers ke liye yeh jaise swarg hai – ball swing karta hai, bounce karta hai, aur batsmen ke paseene chhoot jaate hain. Day 2 par hi 14 wickets gir gaye, aur Cummins ne toh apne 6 wickets ke saath South Africa ki batting ko jese hawa mein uda diya. Par David Bedingham, jo South Africa ke liye 45 run banakar top scorer rahe, ne kaha, “Pitch thodi slow ho gayi hai, ab nicks carry nahi karenge. Hum yeh runs bana lenge.” Yeh baat dil ko chhoo gayi! Bedingham ka yeh vishwas yaad dilata hai 2003 ke World Cup mein South Africa ke Shaun Pollock aur Allan Donald ke us josh ko, jab unhone mushkil haalaat mein bhi ladai ki thi.
South Africa ki team mein yeh baat hai – woh kabhi haar nahi maanti. Temba Bavuma, chhote kad ka bada warrior, apni team ko lekar chala hai. Unki batting line-up mein Aiden Markram aur Kyle Verreynne jaise khiladi hain, jo bade maukon par chamak sakte hain. Yaad hai 2011 ka woh Johannesburg Test? Australia ne South Africa ke saamne 310 ka target rakha tha, aur Pat Cummins, tab ek naye khiladi, ne 6 wickets lekar match jeetvaya tha. Par us match mein South Africa ke Hashim Amla aur AB de Villiers ne dikha diya tha ki woh bhi kam nahi. Aaj bhi, Bavuma aur Bedingham wahi rooh jagane ki koshish kar rahe hain.
Ab thodi si baat Australia ki bhi. Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood – yeh teeno toh jaise bowling ke teen sher hain. Inka record dekho toh dar lagta hai – Cummins ke 300 Test wickets, Starc ka bhi wahi haal, aur Hazlewood ka precision toh bas dekhte hi banta hai. Par South Africa ke paas bhi Kagiso Rabada hai, jo Day 1 par apne aap ko honours board par likhva chuka hai. Rabada ne Usman Khawaja aur Cameron Green ko ek hi over mein pavillion bhej diya – yeh koi chhoti baat nahi! Aur Lungi Ngidi ne bhi Steve Smith jaise bade khiladi ko out karke dikhaya. Yeh ladai ek-dum barabar ki hai, aur South Africa ke paas mauka hai apne aap ko duniya ke saamne sabit karne ka.
Yeh match toh bas ek trailer hai us bade drame ka jo aaj, 13 June 2025 ko, Lord’s ke maidaan par dikhega. South Africa ko shayad 280 ya usse zyada runs ka target chase karna hoga, jo ki asaan nahi hai. Par jab dil mein josh ho, aur team mein ekta ho, toh mushkilein bhi chhoti lagne lagti hain. Yaad karo 2008 ka Perth Test, jab South Africa ne Australia ke ghar mein 414 runs ka target chase kiya tha – woh bhi Graeme Smith aur AB de Villiers ke dum par. Aaj bhi, agar Bavuma aur unki team ne thaan li, toh yeh target bhi paar ho sakta hai. X par bhi log South Africa ke is jazbe ki taareef kar rahe hain, aur kaafi fans ko lagta hai ki yeh match ek itihasik jeet ban sakta hai.
Lekin thodi si chinta toh banta hai. Australia ki bowling line-up itni khatarnaak hai ki ek chhota sa galat shot, ek chhoti si chook, aur South Africa ka sapna toot sakta hai. Day 2 ke end tak Australia 218 runs aage tha, aur abhi unke paas do wickets baki hain. Agar woh aur 20-30 runs jod lete hain, toh South Africa ke liye yeh rasta aur bhi kathin ho jayega. Cummins ne kaha bhi, “Hum aur wickets chahte the, par yeh target bhi kaafi hai.” Ab dekhna yeh hai ki kya South Africa ke batsmen apne aap ko sambhal paayenge, ya phir Australia ke bowlers phir se apna jaadu chala denge.
