Not for the first time on a big occasion, India erred with its team composition to let the advantage slip. On a day when the sun shone bright for the most part, India left out ace spinner R. Ashwin. The off-spinner watched from the sidelines even as The Oval pitch provided a tempting mix of uneven bounce.
A tenacious Australian batting line-up made the most of the miss, moving to a comfortable 327 for three at the end of the first day of the ICC World Test Championship final here on Wednesday.
Deflating the pressure
Ashwin’s absence hit home when Umesh Yadav, his replacement in the eleven, was handled with ease. Umesh, who came into the attack at first change, deflated the pressure built until this point, conceding four boundaries in his second over. For Umesh, who delivered 14 unimpressive overs without taking a wicket, it was a forgettable day.
Ashwin, the top-ranked Test bowler in the world, has made a habit of working batters out. While success is not guaranteed, Ashwin would have at least posed some tough questions to the batters.
The off-spinner’s impressive record against left-handers — Australia has no less than four southpaws in its line-up — adds more weight to his case.
The selection gaffe was reminiscent of the events that unfolded in the 2021 WTC final against New Zealand. Despite having the chance to change the eleven after the first day’s play was washed out at Southampton, India stuck to fielding two spinners. New Zealand, taking cognisance of the obvious seamer-friendly conditions, played five pacers. It came as no surprise when the Kiwis romped home by eight wickets.
At The Oval, Travis Head made the Indians pay. Given the license to go for his shots, he raced to 146 n.o. (156b, 22x4, 1x6). The left-hander timed the ball exceptionally well, cutting and driving with authority. Once he settled down, Head used the upper cut to pepper the third-man region.
Head reached his century off 106 deliveries, with a hook off Mohammed Shami. In the nineties, the 29-year-old was severely tested by a barrage of bouncers from Mohammed Siraj and Shami, but survived.
Head thrived in the company of Steve Smith, who continued his dream run at this venue. Smith (95 n.o., 227b, 14x4) moved to within striking distance of recording his third century in four outings here. Smith and Head dominated the final session, scoring boundaries at will to run the Indians ragged, adding 251 runs for the unbroken fourth wicket.
In the morning session, Siraj nicked off Usman Khawaja (0) to give India a good start. Siraj’s new-ball partner Shami was a tad short with his length, allowing David Warner to sit on the backfoot.
Warner, who has struggled for runs, worked his way into form with a 60-ball 43. He fell against the run of play, gloving a long hop from Shardul Thakur to wicketkeeper K.S. Bharat down the leg-side.
Immediate success
Shami corrected his length after lunch, and gained immediate success. Marnus Labuschagne (26, 62b, 3x4) played all over a full floater which dipped in and took out the stumps. It was a shocker from Labuschagne, who left a massive, fatal gap between bat and pad.
Australia will be mighty pleased to emerge from a tricky situation unscathed. For India, there could be more long days in store.
