Rohit Sharma failed to score big in the first innings of WTC Final (AP Image)
After Mohammed Siraj’s 4/108 helped restrict Australia to 469, India could not capitalize on their good start losing Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill early.
From 361/3 after the first hour of play on Day 2 of the WTC Final against India at the Kennington Oval, London, Australia were bowled out for 469 in the second session, losing seven wickets for just 107 runs. The fact that Travis Head and Steve Smith put on 285 runs for the 4th wicket and heading into Day 2, possibly the best day to bat at the Oval, and despite that Australia would feel they should have got near about 500. Then again, Australia would have taken 469 at the start of the match, and more importantly, by the time tea was taken, Australia bowlers had backed the batters removing the Indian openers cheaply.
India ended tea at 37 for 2 with Virat Kohli (4*) and Cheteshwar Pujara (3*) in the middle.
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Earlier in the session, Mohammad Siraj was the pick of the bowlers adding two more wickets to his tally from morning session to end with 4/108, while Mohammad Shami (2/122), Shardul Thakur (2/83) finished two apiece and Ravindra Jadeja (1/56) got the better of Alex Carey. Umesh Yadav remained wicketless (0/77)
Starting the session at 422/7, Australia were looking for some quick runs and India would have been looking to wrap up the tail as early as possible, and took about 11.3 overs for India to do that. Carey and Cummins put decent 51-run stand for the eighth wicket, before Carey in a bid to reverse sweep Jadeja was trapped in front.
It was formality thereafter with Nathan Lyon and Cummins falling in succession, but not before adding 47 runs at in the post-lunch session.
In reply, Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma came out with positive intent. Sharma pounced on short delivery from Mitchell Starc in the very first over, swirling around to get on top of the ball to earn a boundary. Short ball ploy was evident from the first delivery itself, but Sharma was ready to take on the challenge.
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Shubman Gill, the man in prime from – albeit in T20s – shows glimpses of his class with a gorgeous cover drive off Pat Cummins and later pulled the Aus skipper over mid-on for another authoritative boundary. By the 6th over, India had scored 30 runs. But, Cummins had produced the wicket of Sharma of the final delivery of the 6th over with the one that jagged back in and trapped the Indian skipper in front. He departed for 15 off 26.
Scott Boland, who came in first change and got his radar in the first over with the outside off stump line, got it tighter in the his second over and was immediately rewarded. He stuck to length and after three deliveries that was pitched on fourth line and came back in with the angle, the fourth delivery was touch closer to the off stump on the same length and unsure what to do with it, Gill shouldered his arms on to see the ball hit the top of off stump.
Kohli had a nervy start, but got a streaky four with a lemon cut and along with Pujara saw of their reminder of the session with much fuss
Brief Scores: India 37/2 (Rohit Sharma 15, Shubman Gill 13; Scott Boland 1/2) trail Australia 469 all out (Travis Head 163, Steve Smith 121; Mohammad Siarj 4/108) by 432 runs
