With the sun out and conditions bright and sunny, Day 2 of the WTC final between India and Australia at the Kennington Oval looked apt for a beautiful batting day and the way overnight batters Travis Head and Steve Smith started, it did seem like India would be on a leather hunt for the second consecutive day.
However, by the time lunch was taken, Australia had lost four wickets as India reigned in things rather well despite conditions favoring the batters. Australia went into the break on 422 for 7 with last recognised batter Alex Carey (22*) standing firm with his skipper Pat Cummins (2*). Australia made 95 runs in the session for the loss of four wickets in 24 overs.
Mohammad Shami, Mohammad Siraj and Shardul Tahkur, who added one wicket apiece in the morning session, were rewarded for some control after Smith and Head had once again looked to get away. The first six overs saw 34 runs being scored and with Smith getting to his 31st Test century in the first over of the day courtesy two half-volleys from Siraj. Head also reached his 150 within the first 15 mins, of play with rock solid pull off Shami.
Emotions also flared up as a visibly frustrated Siraj did try to rattle Smith after the first over and he peppered the Australian duo with some short stuff.
However, runs continued to leak, even though Shami and Siraj looked largely disciplined. The duke ball did enough to keep the bowlers interested and pitch also had some enough bite to make things interesting. India were guilty of not following a fixed plan, but on Day 2, against Head, India did eventually stick to shot-ball plan and it worked out when the southpaw moved across a bit too much to glove a short one from Siraj to wicketkeeper KS Bharat.
Head departed for a well-made 163 off 174, but more importantly, it was a much needed wicket against the run of play – exactly what India needed at that moment in time. Siraj and Shami had a spring in their step afterwards as Cam Green joined Smith in the middle.
Green did not last long and after a powerful punch for a boundary off his front foot in front of square, he fell to an expansive drive edging a fuller one from Shami to Shubman Gill at second slip – a fantastic sharp catch with the reverse cup.
Smith though was the danger man and he looked to press forward. Caery at the other hand had a nervy start and survived couple of close LBW shouts from Shami coming over the wicket. Umesh Yadav was brought in for after drinks and he too looked a bit more disciplined, but it was the change to Shardul Thakur that did the trick for India.
Thakur ambled in for his first delivery of the day, an innocuous length ball going away – a warm-up delivery – and Smith poked at it, but call it the lack of pace or Smith’s laziness, the ball took the inside edge of the bat crashed on to the stumps. Thakur had provided another breakthrough and India were well and truly back in it.
Five overs before lunch, Axar Patel, substituting for Shami, produced a brilliant piece of fielding effort at mid-off to run out Mitchell Starc at the non-striker’s end to hand India the session. Carey and Cummins ensured no further damage was done till lunch.
Australia though, despite losing four wickets scored at fair clip of nearly 4 runs per over.
Brief Scores: Australia 422/7 (Travis Head 163, Steve Smith 121; Shardul Thakur 2/83) vs India
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