Head, Smith turn tide for Australia

Press Trust of India

London: Travis Head struck like a tornado with a counter-attacking hundred that left an out-of-sorts Indian attack bereft of ideas as Australia made hay under bright sunshine by reaching 327 for 3 on the opening day of the World Test Championship final.

The ploy of leaving out Ravichandran Ashwin backfired once there was bright sunshine as neither Umesh Yadav nor Shardul Thakur looked under-cooked as India were completely outplayed in the second and third session with Rohit Sharma’s captaincy leaving a lot to be desired.

India picked an extra fast bowler at the expense of Ravichandran Ashwin but that did not help their cause as Head (146 batting) and Smith (95 batting) amassed an unbeaten 251 run partnership off 370 balls for the fourth wicket, lifting Australia from a uncomfortable 73 for three.

The third wicket of Marnus Labuschagne (26) came in the 25th over before overcast skies made way for bright sunshine as Smith and Head made the most of batting friendly conditions through the afternoon and evening sessions. In all there were 44 boundaries hit along with a maximum, depicting the plight of Indian pace attack. It was Head’s first century away from home and sixth overall.

Mohammed Siraj was the pick of the bowlers for India, who have a lot of work to do going into day two. India’s pacers tried the short ball tactic to upset the rhythm of both Smith and Head but were unsuccessful. However the short-ball tactic to unsettle Head came once he was settled down. Siraj bowled his heart out but the likes of Umesh Yadav and Shardul Thalur lacked consistency.

Ashwin’s non-selection will be debated for the remainder of the game but at least on the opening day, there was not much turn on offer for Ravindra Jadeja who bowled 14 overs without a wicket. “Ravichandran Ashwin’s absence is baffling,” Sunil Gavaskar said on Star Sports and his assessment couldn’t have been more apt. Head, who has built a reputation of playing impactful innings in 36 Test old career, single-handedly change the course of the game with his aggressive approach.

The fuller deliveries didn’t trouble him even one bit. When the Indian pacers targeted his pads, the southpaw used his quick wrists to flick them away and anything short and wide on the off side was also duly dispatched.