The final match of the World Test Championship 2023-25, featuring defending champions Australia and South Africa at the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground, delivered a dramatic first day dominated by bowlers. A total of 14 wickets tumbled, but it was an extraordinary occurrence that captured the most attention: for the first time in the 145-year history of Test cricket played in England, both opening batsmen, the players facing the very first ball of their respective innings, were dismissed without scoring a single run in the first innings.

This rare statistical anomaly added another layer of intrigue to an already high-stakes encounter. Australia's Usman Khawaja and South Africa's Aiden Markram both fell for ducks, intensifying the early pressure on their teams. Test matches have been played in England since 1880, spanning 561 games, making this particular incident a historic first that left fans and commentators astonished.

In Australia's first innings, Usman Khawaja, the designated opening batsman, faced 20 deliveries before being dismissed by Kagiso Rabada without troubling the scorers. Following suit, South Africa's Aiden Markram, opening their innings, succumbed to Mitchell Starc on just the sixth ball of the very first over, also registering a duck. The simultaneous failure of both teams' primary openers underscored the challenging conditions and the bowlers' early dominance.

The day's play began with South Africa winning the toss and electing to bowl first, a decision that proved astute. Their bowlers ripped through the Australian lineup, bundling them out for a modest 212 runs. Spearheading the attack was Kagiso Rabada, who claimed an impressive five-wicket haul. However, by the close of play on Day 1, South Africa found themselves in deep trouble, having lost 4 wickets for just 43 runs in their reply.

With such a bowler-friendly opening day, the second day of the WTC final is poised to be crucial for both sides. South Africa will be desperate to stage a comeback and build a competitive total, while Australia will be keen to exploit their advantageous position and dismiss the opposition cheaply to gain a decisive first-innings lead.