Australian has been bowled out for 469 after vice-captain Steve Smith brought up a 31st Test century on Thursday morning, reaching triple figures early on day two of the World Test Championship against India at The Oval.
Unbeaten overnight on 95, Smith clipped his first two deliveries through square leg for back-to-back boundaries, saluting the London crowd and kissing the Australian coat of arms of his helmet. It was his ninth Test century against India, equalling the all-time record, and his seventh in England, which among touring players is only bettered by Sir Donald Bradman.
However, India fought back with four quick wickets in the morning session, including the crucial dismissals of Smith and fellow centurion Travis Head.
The Indians are 2-37 at tea in response, with Virat Kohli (4*) and Chesteshwar Pujara (3*) in the middle.
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Not long after Smith celebrated his third Test ton at the Kennington venue, Head passed the 150-run milestone with a full-blooded late cut through gully. In response, India’s quicks revisited the short-ball tactic against Head, and the South Australian looked uncomfortable as Mohammed Siraj targeted his armpit with the second new ball.
But despite some early signs of inconsistent bounce, Head didn’t shy away from attempting the hook shot, slapping a couple of boundaries before miscuing a top-edge that landed safely at mid-wicket.
Siraj finally unearthed the long-awaited breakthrough when Head walked across his stumps and flicked a regulation catch through to wicketkeeper Srikar Bharat, departing for 163 (174) and ending his 285-run partnership with Smith.
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The dismissal brought Mumbai Indians hero Cameron Green to the middle, and after waiting nearly five hours with the pads on, the young West Australian carved his first delivery through gully for an elegant boundary.
But Green’s stay at the crease was brief, flashing lazily without any footwork at a wide delivery from Mohammed Shami and edging towards Shubman Gill at second slip, gone for 6.
Smith departed shortly after the drinks break, chopping on for 121 after fishing outside the off stump to give Shardul Thakur his second wicket of the match.
The wickets continued tumbling when Mitchell Starc set off for a suicidal single after fending towards mid-off, with substitute fielder Axar Patal nailing a run out at the non-striker’s end. Australia had lost 4-51 in less than 13 overs.
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Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey, playing his first Test match in England, ensured there were no further casualties before the lunch break, picking up the tempo in the afternoon session with a trio of boundaries off Shami’s 29th over.
The South Australian slapped a six over long on to bring up his fifty-run partnership with skipper Pat Cummins before an unnecessary reverse sweep against Ravindra Jadeja proved his undoing, trapped LBW for 48. Carey was initially gifted a reprieve from on-field umpire Chris Gaffaney before the incorrect not out decision was overturned by the third official.
Siraj wrapped up the innings by knocking over Nathan Lyon (9) and Cummins (9) in quick succession to finish with 4-108 from 28.3 overs.
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Rohit Sharma and opening partner Shubman Gill got India’s innings off to a blistering start, smacking 22 runs from the first three overs as Australia’s quicks struggled to find their length early.
The Indian skipper nailed a couple of pull shots before Gill drove beautifully through to covers for his first boundary, continuing from where he left off in Ahmedabad earlier this year.
Cummins broke the opening stand in the fifth over, sliding a wobble-seam delivery into Sharma’s front pad — he didn’t bother calling for a review, departing for 15.
Gill joined his captain in the sheds the following over for 13 after the young opener horrifically misjudged a leave against Scott Boland, who had the Dukes ball on a string before the tea break. The Victorian’s magical delivery seamed viciously off a good length, and Gill was left looking foolish when it crashed into his off stump.
India’s woes continued after the interval with Cheteshwar Pujara falling in almost identical fashion to Gill, leaving alone a wobble-seam delivery from Green that nipped back and struck off stump.
It was Green’s first Test wicket against India, having conceded 230 runs against the Asian nation before his breakthrough scalp.
Head said batting alongside Smith enabled him to “sneak under the radar” after compiling an unbeaten hundred on the opening day of the World Test Championship final against India on Wednesday.
Smith, one of the outstanding batsmen of his generation, has long been a prize wicket during a Test career that had yielded 8792 runs, including 30 centuries.
The former Australia captain proved his worth again with an unbeaten 95 at The Oval, but it was Head who led the way with a scintillating 146 not out.
Australia reached stumps on 3-327, a superb recovery given they were 3-76 when Head walked out to bat.
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Head, speaking following an unbroken stand of 251 with Smith, said: “Whenever I bat with him I always feel like I’m in the shadows, that you can sneak under the radar and go about your business because he draws so much attention.
“We’re completely different but the partnership works really nicely.”
Head’s runs came from just 156 balls, including 22 fours and a six. His sixth Test century was also his first outside Australia, an encouraging sign ahead of a five-match Ashes series in England that starts at Edgbaston next week.
“It’s a nice feather in the cap, I’ll look back in the future on a nice little moment,” Head added.
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India, appearing in their second WTC final after losing the inaugural 2021 showpiece match to New Zealand, had made a solid start after skipper Rohit Sharma won the toss.
They reduced Australia to 1-2 when Mohammed Siraj dismissed Usman Khawaja for a duck but, as the day wore on, their grip loosened amid a rash of wayward deliveries.
“The first 12, 15 overs, I think we really bowled in the right areas,” said India bowling coach Paras Mhambrey.
“But maybe after a little bit, I thought we kind of weren’t disciplined about our bowling.” India left out star off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, the world’s top-ranked Test bowler, having also done without him two years ago when they beat England by 157 runs in their last Test at The Oval.
“It’s always a very difficult decision to drop a champion bowler like that,” said Mhambrey.
“But I thought looking at the conditions in the morning, having the additional seamer would definitely be beneficial.”
Meanwhile former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting suggested India had been fooled by the lifeless green-top when it decided to bowl first.
“All the life has gone out of this wicket,” Ponting declared.
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