Australia fight back to 190-5 at tea in WTC final against South Africa

LONDON :Steve Smith led an Australia fightback to put the defending champions on 190-5 at tea on the opening day of the World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord’s on Wednesday.

Smith scored 66 before being dismissed by part-time spinner Aiden Markram and featured in a 79-run fifth wicket partnership with Beau Webster as Australia steadied their innings after South Africa had taken four wickets before lunch.

Webster, playing only a fourth test, was 55 not out and looking to build another profitable partnership with Alex Carey, who was unbeaten on 22.

Smith was playing for the first time since March and showed no signs of being rusty in a busy innings, continuing his form at Lord’s where he had previously scored a double century.

But he will be disappointed with the manner of his dismissal, attempting to slog Markram and getting a healthy edge to Marco Jansen at slip with the tall bowler juggling the ball twice before holding the catch.

It was the only wicket South Africa took in the session, although Webster might have been out when on four as he was trapped leg before wicket by Kagiso Rabada but a modest appeal was turned down and South Africa chose not to contest the umpire’s decision.

Television pictures, however, showed Webster would have been out had captain Temba Bavuma reviewed.

Australia were 67-4 at lunch but as the sun came out, batting looked easier after a first session played under floodlights and with clouds overhead.

South Africa made good use of those conditions to make early inroads after Bavuma had won the toss and put Australia into bat.

Rabada, returning from a one-month ban after a drugs test earlier this year caught him using cocaine, took two wickets in four balls in the seventh over