London, June 11 -- After a dominant opening session by South Africa, Australia mounted a strong comeback in the second session to take control of proceedings, reaching 190/5 at Tea on Day 1 of the World Test Championship (WTC) Final on Wednesday at Lord's.

The Proteas had the upper hand in the first session, reducing Australia to 67/4 with their pace attack firing on all cylinders. However, the momentum shifted after the break, thanks to a gritty and composed partnership between veteran batter Steve Smith and all-rounder Beau Webster.

Smith, known for his stellar record at Lord's, once again delivered under pressure with a well-crafted innings of 66 runs off 112 balls. His knock, which included 10 boundaries, was a mix of resilience and...