WTC Final: Travis Head & Steve Smith put Aussies ahead on Day 1 

The Day 1 of WTC Final at The Oval was marked with exciting moments for both sides as India won the toss and chose to bowl first. Mohammad Siraj struck early by getting Usman Khawaja out on a duck, but David Warner was looking dangerous as he got comfortable in the middle but was dismissed on time by Shardul Thakur. Soon after, the in-form Marnus Labuschagne was also bowled by Mohammad Shami’s excellent delivery, and it briefly looked like India was in charge. However, Travis Head and Steve Smith had different plans for the day.  

While Travis Head launched a ferocious attack against Indian bowlers, Steve Smith played his signature patience knock with elegant shots. While skipper Rohit Sharma rotated bowling spells when it was needed, no bowler could get either one of the set batsmen out. At the end of the day, Steve Smith reached 95 runs in 227 balls, and Travis Head smashed 146 runs in just 156 deliveries. Their heroics have put Australia in a dominating position on the very first day of the WTC Final.  

Some would question Sharma’s decision to play only one spinner and leave the experienced Ravichandran Ashwin out, but The Oval’s pacer-friendly pitch has been the obvious influencer behind this decision. However, to save and utilise their chances to win this WTC Final, the second and the third day of this test match will be critical for the Indian team, and they will have to revise their strategy going forward. 

Image source: Reuters