In a gripping opening day of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final between Australia and India at The Oval, David Warner's valiant innings fell short of a half-century, as Australia reached 73 for two at lunch.
After winning the toss and electing to bowl on a grassy wicket, Indian captain Rohit Sharma's decision paid off early on when Usman Khawaja departed for a duck. However, Warner and Marnus Labuschagne then steadied the innings with a crucial 69-run partnership.
Warner, known for his aggressive stroke play, displayed his prowess by taking on the Indian bowling attack. He unleashed a flurry of boundaries, including four fours in an over from Umesh Yadav, before ultimately falling to Shardul Thakur in the penultimate over before lunch. The left-hander contributed 43 runs to Australia's total.
At the lunch break, Labuschagne remained unbeaten on 26, while former captain Steve Smith was at the crease with two runs to his name. Smith, who boasts an impressive Test average of 97 at The Oval, will be aiming to anchor the Australian innings in the remaining sessions.
India's bowlers, led by Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj, impressed with their disciplined bowling early on. Siraj claimed the vital wicket of Khawaja with a well-directed wobble-seam delivery that found the outside edge and nestled into the gloves of wicketkeeper KS Bharat. He also troubled Labuschagne with a rising delivery that struck the Australian on the thumb, temporarily unsettling the top-ranked test batter.
Shardul Thakur, who joined the attack later, made an impact with his bowling. He launched two lbw appeals against Labuschagne, both of which were reviewed by India, but the decisions were not overturned by the umpire.
Just before the lunch break, Thakur struck again, dismissing Warner with a cleverly disguised delivery. Warner attempted a pull shot but gloved the ball, which Bharat grasped brilliantly with a diving catch to claim his second dismissal of the innings.
Notably, India opted for a seam-heavy bowling attack, leaving out off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, with Ravindra Jadeja being the lone spin option in the side. Meanwhile, Australia made a forced change, bringing in Scott Boland as a replacement for the injured fast bowler Josh Hazlewood.
As the thrilling encounter continues, both teams will be eager to gain the upper hand in this highly anticipated clash to be crowned the champions of the inaugural ICC World Test Championship.
