Carnage at Lord's: 28 wickets in two days as Aussie collapse

• Australia collapsed to 8/144
• Australia lead by 218 runs
• South Africa were all out for 138
• Cummins claimed six wickets
• 28 wickets fell across two days

Dramatic scenes at Lord’s during Australia’s second innings with a total collapse from Pat Cummins’ side leaving the World Test Championship Final hanging in the balance.

Day two started slowly with South Africa resuming their first innings at 4/43, their captain Temba Bavuma the only wicket to fall before the lunch break with the side 5/121.

Post-lunch chaos ensued, with 13 wickets tumbling across the next two sessions. That’s 28 wickets across the opening two days of the Final.

It was a Cummins masterclass with the skipper claiming six wickets overall, ensuring South Africa’s final five batsmen managed a total of just 12 runs.

It also saw the captain of Australia enter the 300-wicket club, but it was an heroic solo effort that would be totally overshadowed by what followed.

With Australia seemingly in the driver’s seat, no one could have foreseen what followed.

Fighting for his Test career Marnus Labuschagne joined Steve Smith as the only two Aussies in the top six to make it into double figures as the deadly South African pace attack hit its stride.

WTC villain Kagiso Rabada (3/44) claimed another three scalps as did Lungi Ngidi (3/35) before Marco Jansen and Wiaan Mulder took one each leaving Australia 8/144 at stumps (leading by 218).

Alex Carey managed 43 in partnership with Mitch Starc before the wicketkeeper was LBW to Rabada not long before before stumps.

It leaves Australia's fate in the hands of Nathan Lyon (1 not out) and Starc (16 not out).

Despite the extraordinary day of play, Cummins remains confident his side can turn things around.

“Ideally we’d probably have a few more wickets in the shed,” he said. “But I think the trend of the game is the runs are coming down.

“It’s still pretty difficult out there. I think it’s set up well for a day three finish you’d imagine. But I think we’re going to have to bowl well still in the fourth innings.

“Going into day three I think it’s pretty close to 50-50.”

The WTC Final continues tonight from 7:30PM AEST, LISTEN LIVE ON SEN