IND vs AUS, WTC final: Unbeaten Head (146) and Smith (95) Partnership

In the WTC Final 2023 between India and Australia, Travis Head showcased an outstanding performance by scoring a century, while Steve Smith approached his own century. Australia maintained a dominant position against India at the conclusion of Day 1. Head and Smith formed a strong partnership, propelling Australia to a score of 327/3 by Stumps. Despite India’s early breakthrough after Lunch, courtesy of Mohammed Shami dismissing Marnus Labuschagne, Australia remained firmly in control.

Australia had earlier scored 73/2 at Wednesday’s Lunch at the Oval. Just before the break, India dismissed David Warner for 43 while Usman Khawaja was caught ducking by Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur, respectively. This came after Rohit Sharma and the company chose to bowl first against Australia in the World Test Championship Final, despite Ravichandran Ashwin being the top-ranked Test bowler in the world.

In the second World Test Championship Final, India and Australia will square off for the biggest reward in Test cricket. As it did the last time India played New Zealand in 2021 at Southampton, the five-day one-off Test contains a backup day in case weather causes an interruption.

WTC Final: Day 1

The day commenced with thunderous cheers resonating not only within the Oval cricket ground but also reaching the neighboring suburbs, as Team India stepped onto the field. However, as the curtains fell on Day 1 of the WTC Final between India and Australia, an eerie silence settled in the stadium, giving the impression that the spectators inside might have dozed off.

The sequence of events unfolded in an intriguing manner, starting with India winning the toss and opting for an eleven that could have been different. Instead of batting first, they chose to field, a decision they would later regret as the day progressed.

At the end of Day One, Australia had amassed a formidable total of 327/3, with Travis Head (146) and Steve Smith (95) set to resume their innings on Day Two. In retrospect, India’s morning decision began to resemble a momentary lapse in judgment, reminiscent of a ‘brain fade’ moment.

The impressive centuries scored by Head and Smith not only shifted the momentum firmly in Australia’s favor but also positioned them favorably for the upcoming Ashes series.

AUS Ends The Day In Style in the WTC Final

Ravindra Jadeja is on the run until the conclusion of the day after Travis Head hits a Mohammed Shami delivery across covers. protects one run. The Australians have completely dominated this. The final ball of the day is expertly guided through the covers by Steve Smith for a four. The final session produced no wickets. 34 overs produced 157 runs. Australia places 327/3 overall. Steve Smith needs five more runs to reach 100. Travis’s head is just four runs short of a 150.

Team India’s Performance

However, there were times when India’s good fortune also ran out. For instance, the explosive bursts from Mohd Siraj’s early spells were a case of “so close yet so far” following Usman Khwaja’s early dismissal for a duck. The dismissal of Marnus Labuschagne by Mohd Shami, clean bowled to a half volley, suggested that the Australians were also susceptible to errors.

Playing XIs

India XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Srikar Bharat (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohammad Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav

Australia XI: Pat Cummins (c), David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland

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