AUSTRALIA v INDIA, 2023 World Test Championship closing, The Oval – Day One
SCORE: Australia 3-327
SUMMARY: Australia’s historic first look in a World Test Championship closing started stickily sufficient however become an entirely spectacular train in domination. After being inserted on a tough cool morning at The Oval with the Indian seam assault getting loads of motion within the landmark fixture, Pat Cummins’ aspect needed to endure a torrid opening, with Usman Khawaja dismissed for a duck, David Warner falling for 43 when he was starting to appear like his previous self and Marnus Labuschagne (26) being uprooted simply after lunch. But Travis Head’s sensible counter-attacking unbeaten hundred (146no), with Steve Smith (95no) offering immaculate assist, noticed the Australian followers, closely outnumbered by Indian supporters on the venerable London venue, savouring a closing sun-blessed session when the pair took their unbroken partnership to 251 with India, who’d gambled on leaving out world’s No.1-ranked Test bowler Ravichandran Ashwin from their assault, by now wanting fairly demoralised.
PLAYERS OF THE MOMENT: Travis Head has turn into a key middle-order gam-changer and right here provided recollections of one other aggressive, counter-punching left-hander Adam Gilchrist, who so usually altered the course of contests along with his bravado innings. At No.5, he is shaping to be a key Ashes determine.
KEY MOMENT: David Warner did effectively to battle via a tricky opening however when he negotiated that check to crack 16 runs in a single over off Umesh Yadav, it was as if the previous Warner had materialised once more, the swagger of that quartet of pictures absolutely confirming he’ll be in place as opener for the beginning of the Ashes regardless of his barely unfortunate dismissal with a faint flick off his gloves down the legside.
STATS OF THE DAY: 93.58 and 41.85 – the 2 strike-rates of Head and Smith may hardly have been extra completely different, however the relative hare-and-tortoise approaches of the pair of their very good partnership chimed completely.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “It comes with experience, trying to understand the game. I’m in a nice little period of time now, I’m in a nice period of my life off the field too and it’s all emerging into clarity and consistency.” – Head on why he is improved a lot since his final Test appearances in England.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
