Green’s Undesirable Milestone in WTC Final

LONDON: During the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final against South Africa at Lord’s Cricket Ground, Australian all-rounder Cameron Green had a disappointing performance in the No. 3 position, joining an unfavorable list for shortest innings in Test cricket.

Green faced only five balls in total across both innings of the crucial match, getting out each time. This makes him the third player since 1990 to be dismissed twice at No. 3 after facing five or fewer deliveries in a Test.

He now shares this mark with Pakistan’s Babar Azam, England’s Ollie Pope, and Bangladesh’s Mominul Haque, a list that top-order batters would rather avoid.

The Unwanted List – Fewest Balls Faced at No. 3 in a Test (Since 1990):
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Australia experienced a fluctuating second day against South Africa in their WTC Final match, recovering from a stunning collapse to finish at 144/8 in their second innings, leading by 218 runs.

Resuming at 32/2, Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne aimed to stabilize the innings, but it quickly fell apart. South Africa’s pace bowlers caused a collapse, with Australia losing five wickets for just 41 runs, dropping to 73/7.

Alex Carey and Mitchell Starc then mounted a significant recovery, contributing 61 vital runs. Carey was the top scorer with 43 off 50 balls, while Starc remained undefeated on 16 at the close of play, along with Nathan Lyon (1*).

Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi each claimed three wickets, while Marco Jansen and Wiaan Mulder each took one.