Ind vs Aus Day 2, WTC 2023 Final: Steve Smith, Travis Head dominates Day 1

India bowling coach Paras Mhambrey on R Ashwin’s omission from WTC final

After many were left surprised as India dropped Ravichandran Ashwin from the team for the WTC final, bowling coach Paras Mhambrey on Wednesday broke his silence and said that the omission of the world’s top-ranked Test bowler was tough and after looking at the pitch they decided to go out with four seamers.
“It is always a very difficult decision to drop a champion bowler like him. Looking at the conditions in the morning we thought an additional seamer would be beneficial. It has also worked in the past for us. Seamers have done well out here for us. You can always look back and say that additional spinner would have been beneficial but we took the call looking at the conditions, ” Paras Mhambrey said in a post-match press conference.

Mhambrey said that India can still make a comeback against Australia and with the “freshness in the wicket” they can do something.

“Definitely we have an opportunity to make a comeback as there is still seam and cut. In the first hour of tomorrow morning with conditions and freshness in the wicket we can do something,” India bowling coach Mhambrey said.

Ricky Ponting compares Travis Head to all-time great Adam Gilchrist

After the left-hander moved the momentum of the ICC World Test Championship Final towards his side with a magnificent century on the opening day in London, Australian great Ricky Ponting is at ease comparing Travis Head to the modern-day Adam Gilchrist in Australia’s XI.

On an action-packed day at The Oval when Australia dominated, Head delivered his first Test century in England and the sixth of his career with a magnificent unbeaten 146* from just 156 deliveries. “He probably is (similar to Gilchrist). In fact he is probably scoring quicker now than Gilly probably ever did. His strike rate through this (World Test Championship) qualification period is 81, which is higher than anyone else in the world to have scored more than 500 runs,” Ponting told the ICC.

Highlights from Day 1 of the WTC final

At the end of Day 1, WTC 2023 Final was completely dominated by Australia as Steve Smith and Travis played a strong 251-run partnership to take their teams to a massive score of 327/3.