Australia dominated the first day of the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) Final, ending with a score of 327/3 by the close of play. This high-intensity match is currently taking place at the Kennington Oval in London.
Team India made a brilliant start after choosing to field first against Australia in slightly overcast conditions. The pace duo of Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj posed significant challenges for the Australian batsmen, resulting in the dismissal of the in-form Usman Khawaja without scoring any runs.
Nevertheless, David Warner put in the effort to face the challenging early overs. He managed to accumulate 43 runs from 60 deliveries before his dismissal came unexpectedly from a seemingly harmless delivery by Shardul Thakur.
Shortly following the midday meal, Shami made a crucial breakthrough by dismissing Marnus Labuschagne, marking India's initial progress as they began to create opportunities. Australia found themselves in a vulnerable state, standing at a delicate score of 76/3.
Nevertheless, the partnership of Steve Smith and Travis Head posed a significant challenge for the Indian bowlers. As the day advanced, the batting conditions improved, and the Indian seamers' inconsistent bowling only added to their difficulties.
Head opted for an aggressive batting approach, while Smith chose a more cautious approach initially, aiming to wear down the Indian bowlers in the early phase of his innings.
During the second session, both players accumulated 97 runs together before unleashing an attacking display against the Indian team in the third session. Over the course of the final session, spanning 34 overs, Smith and Head added an impressive 157 runs, propelling Australia into a dominant position.
The Indian bowling unit aims to analyze their errors and strive for an early dismissal of the Australian team.
As of now, Australia has amassed a score of 327 runs for the loss of three wickets, with Smith and Head remaining unbeaten on 95 and 146 runs, respectively.
The opening day of the WTC Final witnessed several noteworthy records being shattered. Below are the three most prominent records that were broken throughout the day.
3. Rohit Sharma has become the most senior player to lead the Indian cricket team in a significant ICC tournament final.
Although India faced significant challenges on the first day, Rohit Sharma remains optimistic about securing a significant ICC championship for his country, ending a ten-year drought. As the team's captain, he aims to set an example with his batting performance, marking his inaugural final as India's skipper in an ICC tournament.
Furthermore, Rohit, aged 36 years and 38 days, has also achieved the distinction of being the oldest player to lead India in a major ICC tournament final.
In the ICC Women's World Cup 2017 final, Mithali Raj set a record by leading the Indian cricket team at the age of 34 years and 232 days.
2. Travis Head becomes the inaugural centurion in a World Test Championship (WTC) final.
On Wednesday, Travis Head demonstrated an exceptional display of batting skills, completely dominating the Indian bowlers. The talented left-handed batsman seized every opportunity to attack the deliveries, effortlessly accumulating runs in the process.
During the 65th over of the day, he achieved a significant milestone by scoring a century in the WTC final, completing it in just 106 balls. This accomplishment made him the first player ever to reach such a feat in the history of WTC finals. Previously, the highest individual score in a WTC final was held by Devon Conway, who scored 54 runs against India in 2021.
Having reached this remarkable milestone, the 29-year-old will continue his innings when play resumes on Thursday. Currently, he stands unbeaten on an impressive score of 146 runs off 156 deliveries, which includes 22 boundaries and a six.
1. Steve Smith and Travis Head's ongoing partnership of 251 runs is the most prolific in the history of major ICC tournament finals.
India was completely overwhelmed by the outstanding unbeaten alliance of 251 runs achieved by Steve Smith and Travis Head for the fourth wicket. Australia faced a challenging situation when they lost two quick wickets, but both players showcased remarkable batting skills.
Remarkably, their partnership of 251* runs has now set a new record for the highest-ever partnership in any major ICC tournament final. Previously, this record was held by Ricky Ponting and Damien Martyn, both Australians, who amassed 234 runs against India in the ICC 2003 World Cup final in Johannesburg.
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