India had a disappointing beginning in the World Test Championship final, taking just three wickets and conceding 327 runs on the opening day. Indian captain Rohit Sharma elected to bowl after winning the toss, hoping to take advantage of the green Oval pitch. Unfortunately, the decision didn't yield favorable results, as Travis Head and Steven Smith dominated the Indian bowlers throughout the day.
As a result, India must dismantle this partnership and swiftly dismiss the Australian batting lineup on day 2. Here are three strategies to aid India in recovering and gaining momentum in the Test match.
Target the full length
Despite having the advantage of winning the toss, the Indian bowlers could not take full advantage of the favorable conditions for seam bowling. Shami and Siraj delivered slightly shorter deliveries, while Umesh Yadav and Shardul Thakur needed more consistency in their line and length.
Therefore, on the second day, it would be beneficial for the Indian seamers to adjust their strategy by bowling slightly fuller deliveries and encouraging the Australian batsmen to come forward. This adjustment would increase the chances of inducing outside edges from the batsmen rather than narrowly missing the bat.
Bowl dry spells if nothing is happening
In the longest format of the game, the key to success for fast bowlers is maintaining control when the pitch doesn't provide much assistance. However, the Indian bowlers failed to demonstrate discipline and leaked runs by bowling inaccurately when the ball stopped seaming on Wednesday afternoon.
Even if the conditions favor batsmen, Indian seamers should not lose confidence. They should focus on consistently hitting the right length area, which will restrict the Australian batsmen from scoring quickly. By doing so, the Indian bowlers can induce loose shots from the opposition and create opportunities to take wickets.
The captain should consider having an alternative strategy ('Plan B') and improving their body language.
Regardless of the lineup at his disposal, the captain must boost his team's morale during challenging moments on the field. However, Rohit Sharma appeared less proactive and more defensive in his field placements when India struggled to make a breakthrough on the first day.
Moreover, when the surface offers minimal assistance, the captain should have an alternative plan ready to implement. For instance, they could consider adopting an unconventional field setup, such as having a leg slip, a short leg, a mid-wicket, and a square leg, while instructing the bowlers to target the batsmen with body-line deliveries. This out-of-the-box approach could induce the batsmen to play loose shots.
With Australia boasting two established batsmen, it will pose a formidable challenge for Team India to gain control on day 2. Nonetheless, adhering to the adage "better late than never," Rohit Sharma and his teammates should try to maintain a strong defensive stance, thus establishing the groundwork for an enthralling Test match.
India finished the day's play with a score of 151/5, trailing by a margin of 318 runs.
Despite the Indian bowlers gaining momentum on the second day and limiting the Australians to 469 runs, the Indian batting lineup struggled against the strong Australian bowling attack. At the end of the day's play, India scored 151 runs but lost 5 wickets, trailing by 318 runs.
With the exception of Ajinkya Rahane (29) and Ravindra Jadeja (48), no other Indian batsman could score more than 25 runs.
Australia's bowlers, including Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Scott Boland, Cameron Green, and Nathan Lyon, took one wicket.
Conclusion -
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