- That's would be a wrap up from our side at Oval. Scroll down to scan through all that you need to know about 'The Ultimate Test'.
- And the day ends today with Indian bowlers trying every tricks of the trades but the Aussies were relentless, persistent and combined caution with aggression to get their side to a creditable 327-3. Australia dominated and India felt the heat. To be fair, the sun was out and despite the muggy first session, bowlers found it difficult to get as much purchase off the strip as they would have liked to.
- If carefully assessed, and as Sourav Ganguly made the forecast early on, it's of no surprise that Aussies went on to score big despite the early breakthroughs. India terribly missed the services of Jasprit Bumrah. Add him to the side and one may expect Australia a few more wickets down as he has a knack for getting extra purchases from the strip. And what about Travis Head? Those doubts ahead India series? Seems the doubt was in others' heads, certainly not him.
- About the match, Travis Head and Steve Smith are batting on 146 and 95 respectively at close of play on Day 1 as Australia added 157 runs in the final session which had 34 overs without losing any wicket. The duo added 251 runs for the unbroken fourth wicket stand. Earlier, Australia, who were invited to bat, had added 97 runs in the post-lunch session in 28 overs for the loss of one wicket. They were 73 for 2 at lunch after opener David Warner made 43 off 60 balls. Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur took a wicket each on the day.
WTC Scoreboard: India vs Australia, Day 1 Stumps
Australia 1st Innings:
David Warner c Bharat b Thakur 43
Usman Khawaja c Bharat b Mohd Siraj 0
Marnus Labuschagne b Mohd Shami 26
Steven Smith not out 95
Travis Head not out 146
Extras: (B-1 LB-5 NB-5 W-6) 17
Total: (For 3 wickets in 85 overs) 327
Fall of wickets: 1/2 2/71 3/76
Bowling: Mohammed Shami 20-3-77-1, Mohammed Siraj 19-4-67-1, Umesh Yadav
14-4-54-0, Shardul Thakur 18-2-75-1, Ravindra Jadeja 14-0-48-0.
- Head has crossed the hundred run mark and has been smooth sailing along with Smith with no troubles thus far. Australia is dominating the game and is heading to a massive score while the shoulders are down of the Indian side. Just about 20 mins of play remains and someone needs to stand up and break the partnership else it's going to be tall order for India tomorrow.
- It has been Travis Head all around the park. A magnificent century studded with flurry of boundary and in the end, the magnificent sight of him raising his bat. Match slipping away from India now.
- Head has scored a quick half century and stitched a vital partnership with Smith. Australia is slowly and steadily putting India on the backfoot here.
- Travis Head comes to crease and clobbers for boundaries. He has accelerated the scoreline putting India on backfoot.
- The ball of the day! Shami bowls that perfect in-swinger to dismiss a settled Marnus Labuschagne. Wind blowing in India's favour now.
- Australia begins proceeding after lunch. Steven Smith and Marnus Labuschagne in the middle.
Here's what happened until lunch (Summary)
India pacer Mohammed Siraj breathed fire in his opening spell before seamer Shardul Thakur got rid of a well-set David Warner to reduce Australia to 73 for two at lunch on day one of the World Test Championship final against India. Having survived challenging conditions in the first hour at The Oval, Warner (43 off 60) and Labuschagne (26 batting off 61) were on course to see off the session until Thakur dismissed the left-handed opener with a short ball targeting his rib cage. Wicketkeeper KS Bharat took a well-judged catch down the leg-side.
India expectedly opted to bowl in overcast conditions and on a pitch with fair amount of grass. They made the tough call to leave out Ravichandran Ashwin from the playing eleven for a four-pronged pace attack including Shami, Siraj,Umesh Yadav and Shardul Thakur. Both Siraj and Shami kept Australia in check in the first hour, sharing six overs six each and conceding only 29 runs.
Siraj breathed fire and got more out of the surface than Shami by bowling with a scrambled seam. Usman Khawaja (0 off 10), who has an ordinary record in England, began the tour on a disappointing note as he got a faint edge off a ball that pitched outside the off stump and seamed way. There was minimal feet movement and he paid the price for playing away from the body and the nick was taken easily by Bharat behind the stumps.
Warner, who has a point to prove in this game and cement his spot in the playing XI for the upcoming Ashes, battled with grit and took his chances every time he was offered width. He slashed hard for the first boundary of the game. After an engrossing opening hour, India took the foot off the pedal with Umesh Yadav offering plenty of scoring opportunities to Warner, who collected four boundaries off the pacer in the 15th over.
The going was much tougher for Labuschagne, who copped a nasty blow on his left thumb from a sharp delivery by Siraj. Later in the session, he was able to survive two close DRS lbw calls off Thakur's bowling. As it often happens in England, the sun came out in the second hour and made batting easier.
Australia were looking to close the session strongly until Warner went for a pull off a delivery angled into him by Thakur who went wide off the crease while coming round the wicket as the batter cramped for room couldn't keep the pull down. Bharat justified his selection over Ishan Kishan with a diving catch.
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Live blogs:
- Lunch break! The match ebbed and flowed but the session mostly belongs to Australia despite India removing two wickets. Siraj was particularly impressive, Shami did get the movement but was not favoured by the Gods, Shardul did his job just about perfectly. Umesh, the only bowler with underwhelming performance thus far.
- David Warner is gone on Shardul Thakur's short delivery. He scored a vital 43 runs. Steve Smith come to the crease.
- Four boundaries comes in Umesh Yadav's over and Australia are over the 50-run mark. Time for him to pull up the socks as the pressure build by previous bowlers seems to be fizzling out.
- It's time for drinks...
- Australia is trying to capitalise but the pitch even after more than 10 overs is swinging and providing assistance to the bowlers. There is never a time where a batter can "settle". Australia look to score, India eye wickets.
- Siraj is bowling like a dream and is not making the absence of Bumrah feel until this point. Bowls at 143 kmph plus delivery that extracts extra bound off the strip to hit Labuschangne's glove.
- Marnus Labuschagne is at the crease after Khawaja's dismissal. He tries to calm the jangled nerves by scoring and he should find it easier compared to other Australian counterparts after spending a significant amount of time in Country cricket. Warner and him will now look to settle down Australia.
- First wicket for India and first blow to Australia!!! And Sirrrraaajjj is the man! Bowled outside the off stump, the ball fetched extra bounce and a hint of swing took in-form Khawaja's outside edge.
- An eventful over. First runs coming off Warner's bat and Australia opens it with 2 runs on the board. The fifth delivery zipped off the pitch extracting extra bounce from the surface.
- No runs. Khawaja dealt with it judiciously. Siraj was on the spot right from the word go.
- No runs in the first over. David Warner looks rusty in front of Shami's accuracy and swing. India needs to be consistent with pitching the ball in the right areas and let the ball do the talking. The first over fetched 0 runs for Australia.
Toss update:
London: India won the toss on Wednesday and chose to bowl first against Australia here at the Kennington Oval in the World Test Championship Finals. India opted to oust the world's best spinner R Ashwin and went with all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja keeping the conditions -- overcast and seamer-friendly track -- in mind.
Here's what the captains of the respective teams had to say:
Pat Cummins: We would have bowled as well. Hopefully day four and five, there's a bit of spin. You think it suits his bowling, he'll be a key weapon. We've been here for about 10 days. Pretty fresh, weather has been nice, we haven't missed a session, feeling good.
Rohit Sharma: We are going to bowl. The conditions and also the weather being overcast. The pitch won't change too much. Four seamers and one spinner. The spinner is Jadeja. It's always tough (to leave Ashwin), he's been a match-winner. He (Rahane) brings a lot of experience, he's played 80-odd Tests.
Pitch Report: The weather is chilly with wind blowing and seemingly muggy conditions all of which are an ally to swing bowling. The pitch is nicely covered by a grass layering and India probably learned from their last mistake of going with two spinners on a pace-friendly track. They have opted for a sole spinner in Jadeja.
Teams:
Australia (Playing XI): David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey(w), Pat Cummins(c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland
India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Srikar Bharat(w), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj
