AUS 327/3 in 85 Overs at Stumps | IND vs AUS Highlights WTC 2023 Final Day 1: Travis Head, Steve Smith Put Australia in Complete Control
Having lost the previous edition of the WTC final against New Zealand, India will be looking to make amends for their loss as they look to end their trophy hunt with a win in summit clash. India will head to the clash with full of confidence, having won twice at the same venue, losing just three and drawing seven out of the 14 matches played at this venue.
What a first day it has been for Australia in the World Test Championship final against India. Rohit Sharma won the toss and India put them to bat. The decision seemed to prove fruitful for a while with the bowlers taking two wickets in the first session. Mohammed Shami struck early in the second session to put Australia under pressure at 76/3. But what followed has potentially left a massive mark on this match. Steve Smith and Travis Head joined forces and the two ensured that they gave their side a good platform to build on. Head struck a well-deserved century (146*) while Smith is close to his century (95*) as Australia ended the day on a mammoth 327/3 with these two players putting together 251 runs. India on the other hand, have not found success at all and would need some sort of inspiration somewhere to get back into his name.
Stumps--Australia 327/3 (Travis head 146*, Steve Smith 95*; Mohammed Shami 1/67)
Australia have now gone past 300 in this WTC final against India. Travis Head and Steve Smith have been superb so far and they would look to add more runs while ensuring they remain unbeaten as the play heads to a close on Day 1. Australia would look to bat India out of this match, with both Head and Smith looking in imperious form at the moment. India, meanwhile need an inspirational performance from somewhere to get back into this match.
The partnership between Steve Smith and Travis Head has continued to pile more misery on the Indian bowlers, whose threat have been nullified brilliantly by these two batters. Australia had lost a wicket right after lunch but since then, these two have taken up the pressure and put their side in a position of complete dominance in this contest. India need a wicket soon before the close of play. At the moment, it is all Australia.
CENTURY for Travis Head! The left-hander has notched up a well-deserved hundred in this WTC final against India. He has attacked right from the outset and played some good shots on both sides of the wicket. His knock and partnership with Steve Smith has put Australia in a position of control in this match.
FIFTY! Steve Smith has joined in the act and scored a remarkable Test half-century! The right-hander has played second fiddle to Travis Head for a good part of the day and now has got the 50-run mark. His knock has tightened Australia's grip on this match.
Australia have begun the third session of the match on a positive note, with Travis Head continuing from where he left off. His partnership with Steve Smith has already crossed 100 runs and India need a wicket at the moment to make a comeback in this contest.
Travis Head's fifty has put Australia in control in the WTC final. Mohammed Shami did strike right after lunch, but Head's counter-attack saw Australia fight back hard. Steve Smith at the other hand played second fiddle with the two batters stitching a 94-run undefeated stand.
FIFTY! Travis Head has struck a half-century on Day 1 of this all-important contest. The left-hander has played some delightful shots on both sides of the wicket to ease pressure early on and come up with a super knock here. He and Steve Smith have kept Australia on top here.
The partnership between Steve Smith and Travis Head has been a good one for Australia so far. The two have mixed caution with aggression and have put their side in a position of control here. India have introduced Ravindra Jadeja into the attack with the fast bowlers not being able to deliver at the moment.
Travis Head has counter-attacked after Australia lost Marnus Labuschagne early after lunch. The left-hander has pounced on anything wide and has played a flurry of attacking shots. He has hit six fours so far and looked good. Steve Smith is batting at the other end.
OUT! What a ball! Mohammed Shami has produced a sensational delivery to get through Marnus Labuschagne's defenses! The pitched up ball would have lighted up Labuschagne's eyes as he went for a drive and it moved back in to hit the off-stump! India strike right after lunch and Australia have been put under pressure early in this session! Marnus Labuschagne b Mohammed Shami 26(62) Watch his wicket here.
And it is lunch on Day 1 of the WTC 2023 final! What a first session it has been. Usman Khawaja fell early and India had a great start but David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne fought back for Australia with a 69-run partnership. Australia gradually continued to grow more in control of proceedings as the sun came out, but against the run of play, Shardul Thakur struck, dismissing Warner for a well-made 43.
OUT! Against the run of play, Shardul Thakur has dismissed David Warner. The left-hander did all the hard work and looked set for a good score and India have gotten an important breakthrough. The ball angled away and going down leg Warner edged it with KS Bharat taking an excellent catch! David Warner c Srikar Bharat b Shardul Thakur 43(60) Watch David Warner's Wicket Here.
David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne have staged a bit of a fightback after Australia lost the wicket of Usman Khawaja early on. India have bowled well with both Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj hitting the right lines and lengths.
OUT! Mohammed Siraj has got the first wicket and it is Usman Khawaja who has to depart for a duck! The Australian opener edged a wobbled seam ball which went away slightly and KS Bharat took a simple catch behind the stumps! Australia are on the back foot early! Usman Khawaja 0 (10) c KS Bharat b Mohammed Siraj Watch Usman Khawaja's Wicket Here.
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.
TOSS: India have won the toss and have opted to bowl first with overcast conditions and green track on offer. Ravindra Jadeja is the lone spinner in the Indian playing XI, which means Ravi Ashwin has been left out.
India take on Australia in the summit clash of the ICC World Test Championship final on Wednesday June 7, 2023, with the match scheduled to begin at 3 pm let us look how the teams fare ahead of the mega showdown. Having lost the previous edition of the WTC final against New Zealand, India will be looking to make amends for their loss as they look to end their trophy hunt with a win in summit clash. India will head to the clash with full of confidence, having won twice at the same venue, losing just three and drawing seven out of the 14 matches played at this venue. India’s last match at this venue ended in a win when they beat England by 157 runs during the 2021-22 series. Is India vs Australia WTC 2023 Final Free Live Streaming Online Available on JioCinema?
For India, their batters especially the likes of Virat Kohli would be raring to go up against the Australians as they have been his favourite opponents to score runs. The right-handed southpaw registered 1979 Test runs against the Aussies with a career-best score of 186 that he smashed during the recently concluded Border-Gavakar series. India’s go-to bowler during the 2021-23 WTC cycle has been Mohammad Shami, the right-handed fast bowler scalped 41 wickets at an awesome economy of 3.2. India vs Australia ICC WTC 2023 Final Live Streaming Online on DD Sports, Star Sports & Disney+ Hotstar: Get Free Live Telecast of IND vs AUS Test Match on TV.
For Australia, Oval acts as a nightmare as the team registered a forgettable numbers at this venue with 17 defeats, 14 draws, and, only seven wins out of the 34 matches played at this ground. Talking about Australia’s record at this venue, regardless of wherever the match is taking place, the Pat Cummins-led side have in them to make a comeback out of any situation and it was witnessed during the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar series when they made a sudden comeback and won the third Test match to reduce the deficit of the series to 2-1. Will Rain Play Spoilsport in India vs Australia ICC WTC 2023 Final? Here's What London Weather Forecast Says.
They would be banking on their key opener Usman Khawaja to come good with the bat like he did during the Border-Gavaskar series wherein he slammed the most – 333 runs against the host. They will be relying on their star spinner Nathan Lyon to do his natural duties like when he ended up being the highest wicket taker for the Aussies in the Border-Gavaskar series.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 07, 2023 02:23 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).