India vs Australia, WTC Final 2023 – Travis Head (146) and Steve Smith (95) Dominate Day 1; Australia Ends at 327/3
A brilliant unbeaten by Travis Head, accompanied by Steve Smith
Travis Head’s Century and Steve Smith’s Solid Knock Propel Australia on Day 1 against India.Travis Head showcased his brilliance with a century, while Steve Smith steadily approached his own hundred as Australia maintained their dominance against India at the conclusion of Day 1. After India claimed an early wicket post-lunch when Mohammed Shami dismissed Marnus Labuschagne, Head and Smith guided Australia to a strong total of 327/3 by the end of play.
Australia Face Early Setbacks as India Make Inroads on Day 1 at the Oval.
During the opening session at the Oval on Wednesday, Australia reached a score of 73/2 by lunch. India successfully dismissed the in-form David Warner for 43 just before the break, while Usman Khawaja fell for a duck, courtesy of Shardul Thakur and Mohammed Siraj respectively. Notably, the Indian team made the strategic decision to exclude the world’s top-ranked Test bowler, Ravichandran Ashwin, and elected to bowl first in the highly anticipated World Test Championship Final against Australia.
The clash between India and Australia marks the pinnacle of Test cricket as they vie for the coveted title in the second edition of the World Test Championship Final. This five-day, one-off Test match includes a reserve day to accommodate any interruptions due to rain, similar to the previous encounter between India and New Zealand in 2021 at Southampton.
India and Australia Announce Playing XIs for the Match
India Playing XI: Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma (c), Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Srikar Bharat (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohammad Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav
Australia Playing XI: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (c), Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland
