Finest photographs of Head’s centuryWorld Take a look at Championship closing, The Oval (day certainly one of 5):Australia: 327-3 (Head 146*, Smith 95*)India: But to batScorecard
Travis Head stroked a glowing century to place Australia in a dominant place in opposition to India on day one of many World Take a look at Championship closing at The Oval.
The left-hander, participant of the sequence within the final Ashes, served a reminder of his expertise earlier than this summer season’s battle in opposition to England with 146 not out from 156 balls.
Head shared an unbroken stand of 251 with Steve Smith, who appeared in ominous contact for his unbeaten 95. The fourth-wicket pair took Australia to 327-3 on the shut.
India, crushed within the first Take a look at Championship closing two years in the past, opted to bowl first on a inexperienced pitch below gray sky and lowered Australia to 76-3.
However as batting circumstances eased, India’s back-up seamers couldn’t carry the specter of the new-ball bowlers and Rohit Sharma’s aspect could rue omitting off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.
India will return on Thursday with a ball that’s lower than 5 overs outdated. They need to strike early or danger being batted out of this closing.
Australia emerge on compelling day
Finest photographs of Smith’s 50
This was a compelling day of Take a look at cricket, the 2 premier groups from the previous two years duelling in difficult circumstances that modified as time wore on.
Despite the fact that it was exhausting accountable India for eager to bowl first, it might be that it was toss to lose for Australia – the pitch supplied much less motion and extra constant bounce after lunch.
Nonetheless, Australia needed to work exhausting to be ready to money in, particularly within the face of some excellent new-ball bowling from Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj – the second-wicket stand of 69 between David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne was extremely invaluable.
Labuschagne was concerned in an exciting duel with Siraj, whereas later Head jostled with the left-arm spin of Ravindra Jadeja and was examined by a barrage of quick bowling within the 90s. These cut-and-thrust tussles ensured…
..
