Wayward bowling lets Rohit & Co. down as a blazing ton from Travis Head helps Australia recover from 76-3 to position of strength on Day 1 of the WTC Final; Smith too on cusp of another century
Mohammed Shami had just produced one of those deliveries that he does when he’s in rhythm.
A rare full ball, his first after lunch, which seamed in after pitching, crashed into Marnus Labuschagne’s off-stump, dismissing him for an ungainly 26. Australia were then 76/3 on Day 1 of the World Test Championship final at the Oval with Steve Smith only on four.
It was game on after India had won the toss under a leaden sky that changed hue to blue on a glorious sun-kissed afternoon and evening and elected to bowl on a wicket that had a generous tinge of green. Then, curiously, skipper Rohit Sharma kept a sweeper on the off-side, allowing Travis Head, who has the highest strike rate for batsmen with more than 500-plus runs in the current WTC cycle of nearly 82, the comfort of settling down.