Former India captain Sourav Ganguly believes that India would have been in an excellent position at stumps on Day 1 of the World Test Championship (WTC) final had Pat Cummins won the toss and instructed India to bat first.
India omitted top-ranked Test bowler R Ashwin and elected to bowl first against Australia in the World Test Championship Final. Notably, Australia scored 73/2 at lunch on Wednesday at the Oval. After the interval, India dismissed David Warner for 43 and Usman Khawaja for zero.
Travis Head and Steve Smith pushed Australia’s score to 327/3 at the end of the first day, adding over 250 runs after Mohammed Shami dismissed Marnus Labuschagne before lunch.
“Absolutely, Pat Cummins stated that he would have bowled first if he had won the decision. India would have been in this situation if Pat Cummins had won the coin. Ganguly told Star Sports that it was not the first occasion a team scored 300 runs after losing two wickets in the first session.
Steve Smith and Travis Head performed admirably. Ganguly praised Smith and Head for their outstanding performance in their duties. “Credit must be given to Steve Smith and Travis Head. Each has played unique sorts of knocks. Smith has performed similarly to you in England’s swinging and seaming conditions. He has played his own game, which you must continue to play positively under all circumstances.”
Head hit an unbeaten 146 off 156 deliveries by hitting 22 fours and one six. Smith, on the other hand, hit 14 fours to score 95, not out off 227 deliveries at stumps while remaining unbeaten. Australia and India are competing in the second World Test Championship Final for the most prestigious honour in Test cricket.
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