Web Desk
Travis Head’s brilliant century took center stage as Australia staged a strong comeback against India on the opening day of the World Test Championship (WTC) final at The Oval in London. Despite losing the toss, Australia finished the day in a commanding position at 327-3, with Travis Head unbeaten on 146 and Steve Smith on 95.
The partnership between Head and Smith reached 250 runs off the final ball of the day, with Smith elegantly guiding Mohammed Shami through the covers for a four. Australia had found themselves in trouble at 76-3 after being put into bat on a pitch favorable to bowlers in the WTC Final.
However, as the sun emerged from behind the clouds, the runs started flowing. Head, counter-attacking from the beginning of his innings, took advantage of his attacking strokeplay to put pressure on the bowlers. Smith, known for his conventional style of play at The Oval, provided stability at the other end, allowing Head to express himself freely.
By the time India tested Head with short-pitched deliveries, he was well set and responded confidently. A pulled single off Shami brought up his sixth Test century in just 106 balls, including 13 fours and a six. In contrast, Smith took 144 balls to reach his half-century.
With Australia comfortably placed at 301-3 off 80 overs, India took the new ball but failed to make an impact. Indian captain Rohit Sharma may have regretted leaving out off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, given the presence of three left-handed batsmen in Australia’s top five.
India started strongly, removing Usman Khawaja for a duck with an impressive wobble-seam delivery from Mohammed Siraj. However, David Warner steadied the innings and displayed increasing confidence with three consecutive boundaries against Umesh Yadav. Warner’s innings was cut short at 43 when he gloved a pull shot off Shardul Thakur, resulting in a well-taken catch by wicketkeeper Srikar Bharat.
Marnus Labuschagne, the top-ranked Test batsman, fell early in the second session for 26, bowled between bat and pad by a swinging delivery from Shami. Head had a challenging time against Ravindra Jadeja but managed to drive the left-arm spinner for a boundary, reaching his fifty off 60 deliveries.
The WTC Final presents Australia with an opportunity to win the only major men’s cricket trophy they have yet to claim. Additionally, this match kicks off a busy schedule for Australia, including a five-match Ashes series against England, comprising a total of six Tests in just eight weeks.
