Australia vs South Africa: World Test Championship in balance as wickets tumble at Lord’s

The steward at the bottom of the steps in front of the Lord’s pavilion must be in danger of suffering from repetitive strain injury.

Every time he settled back into his chair after lifting the latch to open and close the gate to allow an Australian batter out to the middle he was soon repeating it to welcome him back again not long after.

Australia had reached 28 without loss just before tea when their tormentor from the first day, Rabada, lit the blue-touch paper.

First he dismissed Usman Khawaja in a similar vein to the first innings, inducing a nick to the wicketkeeper from the left-hander with a delivery which squared him up.

Then two balls later Cameron Green departed after a defensive prod flew to Mulder at third slip.

The majority of the English ‘neutrals’ in the crowd are supporting South Africa, and they were whipped into a frenzy by the Australian capitulation which followed in the evening.

Labuschagne was guilty of poor shot selection when he edged a loose drive off Jansen to the diving Kyle Verreynne.

Australia were 48-4 when Ngidi lulled Smith into stepping across his stumps and was struck on the pad, the crowd erupting when Bavuma’s review overturned the original decision of not out.

Webster was given out without the need for DRS after a nip-backer from Ngidi before Mulder thudded one into Head’s off stump from round the wicket.

A yorker from Ngidi into Cummins’ pads deflected on to the stumps and Australia were in tatters at 73-7.

Those with tickets for fourth day of this contest would be well advised to start making alternative plans if the first two days of this match are anything to go by.

Barring any interjections from the weather it would be a minor miracle if this contest now stretches through until Saturday.

Day three, however, could be a nerve-shredding humdinger.