The second day of the World Test Championship (WTC) final between Australia and South Africa at Lord's on June 12, 2025, was filled with drama, headlined by Pat Cummins' outstanding performance and a bizarre collision that led to a crucial dismissal. Cummins finished the day with six wickets for just 28 runs, reaching his 300th Test wicket and etching his name on the Lord's honors board. However, it was an unusual incident involving South African batter Kyle Verreynne that grabbed significant attention.
Early in the second session, Cummins, bowling with pace and precision, delivered an inswinging ball that struck Verreynne on the pads. As Cummins appealed for LBW, he turned and ran backwards down the pitch, unintentionally colliding with Verreynne, who was attempting to steal a single. Both players went down in a heap, leaving the umpire, crowd, and commentators in shock.
Despite the collision, Cummins quickly regained his composure and signaled for a review using the Decision Review System (DRS). The on-field umpire's initial decision was overturned as ball-tracking technology indicated the ball would have hit the leg stump. Verreynne was adjudged LBW, giving Cummins a significant breakthrough and further bolstering Australia's position in the match.
Cummins continued his dominant spell, dismissing Marco Jansen in the same over with a caught and bowled. He later removed David Bedingham, completing his five-wicket haul and reaching his 300th Test wicket. His figures of 6/28 are now the best bowling figures in an innings of a WTC final, surpassing previous records.
Adding to the day's drama, another contentious moment occurred before lunch involving David Bedingham. A delivery from Beau Webster took an inside edge off Bedingham's bat and lodged in his pad. As Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey moved in to collect the ball, Bedingham picked it up and dropped it. The Australians appealed for a "handled the ball" dismissal, but the umpires ruled the ball dead, sparking debate over the laws of the game.
Cummins later addressed the incident in a press conference, stating that the umpires had deemed it a dead ball and that the Australian team would have likely withdrawn their appeal regardless. Bedingham admitted he panicked due to Carey's proximity and acknowledged that his actions "came across as a bit dodgy."
Despite the controversies, Cummins' exceptional bowling performance placed Australia in a commanding position. His ability to strike at crucial moments, combined with the successful DRS review, proved decisive in shifting the game's momentum in Australia's favor.