Sunil Gavaskar criticised India’s performance on Day 1 of the all important WTC Final. India looked in trouble after Smith’s and Head’s big partnership.
The opening day of the World Test Championship final (WTC) 2023 witnessed a clash between India and Australia at The Oval in London. India, choosing to bowl first, enjoyed a superb start by dismissing Usman Khawaja for a duck. Marnus Labuschagne and David Warner appeared to be in good form initially but could not make a significant impact. Labuschagne fell for a mere 26 runs, while Warner contributed 43 runs before being caught by wicketkeeper KS Bharat.
However, after losing three wickets for 76 runs, Australia made a resilient comeback through Steve Smith and Travis Head. Both batsmen remained unbeaten at stumps. With Smith accumulating an impressive 95* runs from 227 balls, and Head displaying brilliance with 146* runs from 156 deliveries.
By the end of Day 1, Australia comfortably reached a total of 327 runs for the loss of three wickets. Despite early breakthroughs, Umesh Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami, and Mohammed Siraj struggled to create a lasting impact on the game.
India looked dispirited: Gavaskar
By the conclusion of Day 1, Australia comfortably reached a total of 327 runs, having lost three wickets. Despite obtaining some early breakthroughs, Umesh Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami, and Mohammed Siraj failed to leave a lasting impact. Hence, observing India’s bowling performance, former Indian batter Sunil Gavaskar took the forefront and expressed his view, stating that by the end of the final session, the Indian team appeared fatigued and demoralized.
“India looked tired in the final session. They looked dispirited. With Travis Head on 146 and Steve Smith on 95, they are looking at 550-600,”
Gavaskar said.
With Day 2 of the WTC final on the horizon, India will be eager to secure early breakthroughs and stage a comeback. Furthermore, it becomes imperative to dismantle the partnership between Head and Smith at the start of the day; otherwise, Australia might accumulate a formidable first innings total.
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