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Steve Smith has left the Lord's field in pain after hurting himself attempting a catch during South Africa's chase in an exciting World Test Championship final.

Australia's best batter Steve Smith has dropped a crucial chance and injured his finger during South Africa's run chase of 282 in the World Test Championship final at Lord's.

Wearing a helmet while standing closer in slips than normal, the former Australia captain put down a regulation chance off Mitchell Starc that would have dismissed Proteas captain Temba Bavuma for only two on Friday.

South Africa went to tea on day three at 2-94, still requiring 188 to win, with Bavuma (11no) and opener Aiden Markram (49no) pressing the Proteas' claims of securing their first ICC trophy since 1998.

Bavuma himself needed medical attention on his hamstring before the end of the session after he'd got hurt sprinting a quick single, but batted on with a concerning limp.

Smith immediately left the field grimacing after injuring the little finger of his right hand while spilling the catch that would have put Australia in the box seat to claim back-to-back WTC titles.

Several edges during this Test - for both teams - have dropped well short of the slip cordon, forcing Smith to move forward.

Evergreen quick Starc (2-37) had claimed both of South Africa's second-innings scalps, backing up a potentially match-winning knock on Friday morning, before Smith's dropped catch.

Starting day three of their second innings 8-144, Australia's plucky lower-order batted for 119 minutes and added another 78 during a Test in which bowlers dominated the first two days.

No.11 Josh Hazlewood (17) hung in there for 53 balls and was the last player out on the stroke of lunch, caught in the deep to give part-time spinner Aiden Markram his second wicket of the Test.

Starc (58no), batting at No.9, finished as Australia's top-scorer of the innings ahead of wicketkeeper Alex Carey (43).

He faced more balls (136) than any other batter during an innings in this Test, even more than Steve Smith's 112 for his 66 on day one.

It was the 11th half-century of Starc's 97-Test career, but could be his most significant innings.

If the match goes down to the wire, South Africa will be left to rue bowling 20 no balls during the Test.

Star Proteas quick Kagiso Rabada (4-59) finished with match figures of 9-110 after he destroyed Australia with 5-51 in the first innings to put his name on the Lord's honour board for a second time.

He took a five-for against England at the home of cricket back in 2022.

"It would have been nice to get a 10-for, but I'd rather a win than a 10-for," Rabada said at lunch.

South Africa need to pull off the equal second-highest successful chase in a Test at Lord's, with England running down 282 against New Zealand back in 2004.

Back in 1984, West Indies, in their pomp, successfully chased 342 against England at the famous ground.

Australia, inspired by six wickets from Pat Cummins, rolled South Africa for 138 on Thursday.

But the reigning champions fell into deep trouble in their second innings when they collapsed with 5-29 during a frantic 45-minute period.

Victory in only the third edition of the WTC final would ensure Australia have landed four ICC trophies since November 2021.

Fourteen wickets tumbled on Thursday, after 14 had already fallen on a dramatic opening day.

This AAP article was made possible by support from Amazon Prime Video, which is broadcasting the World Test Championship final.