LONDON: Travis Head scored an impressive half century as Australia reached 170-3 against India at tea on the opening day of the World Test Championship final at the Oval.
Australia struggled after losing the toss in bowler-friendly conditions but as the sun burst through the clouds in south London on Wednesday, the runs started to flow.
Middle-order batsman Head was 60 not out at the break and Steve Smith unbeaten on 33 – the pair had added 94 runs after coming together at 76-3 soon after lunch.
India captain Rohit Sharma elected to bowl under overcast skies and on a green-tinged pitch that promised to assist a four-man pace attack.
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It was not long before a bowling unit missing injured fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah justified Rohit’s decision, with Mohammed Siraj removing Usman Khawaja for a 10-ball duck with an excellent wobble-seam delivery.
Australia, to the raucous delight of a mostly pro-India crowd, were then 2-1 in the fourth over.
But David Warner, who had managed just one century in his previous 32 Test innings, counter-attacked.
The 36-year-old struck first-change Umesh Yadav for three fours in successive balls, with a forcing shot through cover-point followed by an uppercut over the slips and a delicate late cut.
Even better was a cover-driven four off Shardul Thakur that sped across the outfield.
Medium-pacer Thakur had his revenge when he dismissed the opener for 43, although credit for the wicket belonged to wicketkeeper Srikar Bharat, who took a fine diving catch down the legside after Warner had gloved an attempted pull shot.
Marnus Labuschagne, the world’s top-ranked Test batsman, fell for his lunch score of 26 when bowled between bat and pad by a Mohammed Shami inswinger.
Head, one of three left-handers in Australia’s top five, put the pressure back on an attack without Ravichandran Ashwin after India decided against selecting the off-spinner, ranked number one in Test cricket.
Head, strong off his pads and severe on anything wide of off stump, was troubled by Ravindra Jadeja but then drove the left-arm spinner for four – one of nine boundaries in a 60-ball fifty.
The match, the second WTC final, comes after a two-year programme of games. New Zealand defeated India in the inaugural 2021 edition in Southampton.
The WTC remains the only major men’s cricket trophy Australia have yet to win.
The fixture also marks the start of a packed schedule of six Tests in eight weeks for Australia, including a five-match Ashes series against England.