India vs Australia Score, WTC Final 2023 Day 1: Australia Dominate, Score 327/3
India vs Australia, WTC Final 2023 Updates, Day 1: Travis Head and Steve Smith combined to score 241 runs.
India vs Australia live score and updates of World Test Championship (WTC) 2023 Final
(Photo: Twitter/BCCI)
India and Australia are competing in the 2021-23 ICC World Test Championship final, which is being played in England's Oval.
India won the toss and opted to bowl first.
Australia scored 327/3 on Day 1.
Travis Head scored his sixth century in Test cricket, whilst Steve Smith is unbeaten on 95.
Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami and Shardul Thakur picked a wicket apiece for India.
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India vs Australia Live Score: Baggy Greens Ahead on Head-to-Head Records
The head-to-head records between these two teams can be viewed from two varying perspectives. Holistically, Australia have the upper hand, with a 44-32 margin in their favour.
That being said, the men in blue have performed well against the baggy greens in recent years, with Australia's last series win over India coming way back in the 2014/15 Border Gavaskar Trophy.
India vs Australia Live Score: Selection Dilemma For India
As they often do, Australia have essentially, all but confirmed their playing XI a day ahead of the game. Albeit Michael Neser was roped in to replace Josh Hazlewood, Scott Boland will be featuring with the ball.
All eyes will now, understandably, be on the Indian playing XI. Ravichandran Ashwin has often done well against the Aussies, but with the English conditions not having much purchase for the spinners, Shardul Thakur could get a game.
India vs Australia Live Score: India to Bowl First
India have won the first battle, that is, the flip of the coin!
Rohit Sharma opted to bowl first, with the conditions likely to become more batting-friendly as the game progresses.
"The conditions and also the weather is overcast. The pitch won't change too much," Rohit said after the toss. "We would have bowled as well. Hopefully day four and five, there's a bit of spin," Pat Cummins said.
India vs Australia Live Score: Team News
The team Rohit Sharma has announced is on expected lines. Ravichandran Ashwin has had to miss out, with Oval not being a ground that is tailor-made for the tweakers. Instead, Shardul Thakur has got a game.
As for Australia, Nathan Lyon is the solitary spinner, whilst as Cummins had previously stated, Scott Boland has been included in the playing XI.
India Playing XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, KS Bharat (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj.
Australia Playing XI: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland.
India vs Australia Live Score: Good Start For India
India could not have asked for a better start. They have had everything going in their favour, albeit the wickets column is yet to be opened. Mohammed Shami is generating swing on this Oval surface, with Mohammed Siraj also looking promising. As for the Aussies, David Warner is looking a tad shaky.
Score: 2/0 after 3 overs.
India vs Australia Live Score: Usman Khawaja Sent Packing
WICKET!
That's the first breakthrough for India. That's the intense pressure they had built since the first ball paying off. And, that's Usman Khawaja, one of Australia's most in-form batters, talking the long walk back to the pavilion.
Mohammed Siraj's scrambled seam does the trick, as it catches the faintest of outside edges off Khawaja's willow. Australia are 2/1, India with an early advantage here.
Next batter on the crease: the ever-so-industrious Marnus Labuschagne.
India vs Australia Live Score: Warner Getting a Move On
Right then, it will be right to say that David Warner is not looking as anxious at the crease, as he was a few minutes ago. The opening batter has managed to get 13 runs to his name, which includes a four and a couple of threes. Marnus Labuschagne, meanwhile, is trying to find his footing.
Australia are 18/1 after 7 overs.
India vs Australia Live Score: Warner, Labuschagne Provide Stability
Following a difficult start, Australia's innings has been stabilised, with David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne looking fairly comfortable. Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma has taken both Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami off the attack, with Umesh Yadav and Shardul Thakur now bowling in tandem.
The first couple of overs from Umesh might trigger a few nerves in the Indian camp, with the speedster conceding 21 runs so far.
Australia's score – 54/1 after 15 overs. Warner is unbeaten on 37, Labuschagne is not out on 16.
India vs Australia Live Score: Shardul Strikes For India
HUGE BREAKTHROUGH!
Just when it seemed that the Aussies will go into lunch with the loss of just the solitary wicket of Usman Khawaja, Shardul Thakur has delivered for India.
The seamer banged a short delivery to Warner, who, given the sublime nick he was in, did not hesitate to go for the pull shot. However, the opener could not get a proper connection on his shot, edging it to the wicketkeeper's gloves. KS Bharat should get his due share of credit as well, for a fine grab while diving to his left.
Australia are 72/2. Lunch is just around the corner.
India vs Australia Live Score: Balanced First Session
Lunch, Day 1.
India will be going into the dressing room with their spirits high, with David Warner departing just moments before lunch. Yet, the Aussies might be happier of the two teams, given that they have managed to negotiate with swing quite effectively.
After losing the toss, and then losing an in-form Usman Khawaja for a duck, a 69-run partnership between David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne stabilised Australia's innings. The latter is currently unbeaten on 26, with Steve Smith batting on 2.
Australia's score after the first session is 73/2. We will be right back for the second session.
India vs Australia Live Score: Shami Cleans Up Labuschagne
WICKET!
Mohammed Shami has provided India with the exact start they would have wanted after lunch. In only the second over of the second session, his pitched up delivery found its way through Marnus Labuschagne's defence, uprooting the stumps.
Australia are 80/3.
India vs Australia Live Score: Australia Into Three Figures
So far, the second session has played out pretty much like the first. Following Marnus Labuschagne's wicket early on, the momentum has swung in Australia's favour.
This time around, Travis Head is doing all of the talking. The left-handed batter has scored 28 runs off the first 19 deliveries he faced. Australia are 113/3 after 31 overs.
India vs Australia Live Score: Head, Smith Build Partnership
The fourth-wicket partnership between Travis Head and Steve Smith might have started ringing worrying bells in the Indian camp. The pair has added 73 runs for the fourth-wicket stand, and both have found their footing. Head is currently three runs away from what could be a game-defining half-century, with Smith unbeaten on 29.
Meanwhile, Ravindra Jadeja is on the attack for India. Australia are 153/3 after 43 overs.
India vs Australia Live Score: Advantage Australia at Tea
TEA BREAK!
Australia will undoubtedly be the happier of the two teams, with Travis Head and Steve Smith looking in sublime nick. Marnus Labuschagne was dismissed in only the second over of the session, with Mohammed Shami opening his wickets tally, but nothing has worked out in India's favour so far.
Head swung momentum in Australia's favour with aggressive batting early on, and currently, he is unbeaten on 60 runs from 75 deliveries. On the opposite end, Steve Smith has played the quintessential anchor, remaining unbeaten on 33 runs from 102 deliveries.
At tea, Australia are 170/3. Big session coming up for India, where they will need to pick up wickets, and preferably, in clusters. We will be right back!
India vs Australia Live Score: 200 Up For Australia
Nothing doing for the Indians. Nothing doing.
Travis Head is nearing his sixth Test century, while Steve Smith is nearing a well-crafted half-century. As for their team, Australia have breached the 200-run mark, and are currently. Rohit Sharma has used all of his bowlers, but to no avail.
Does he have another trick up his sleeve? Can India somehow find a way to finish Day 1 on a high? Currently though, it is looking gloomy. Australia are 212/3 after 59 overs.
India vs Australia Live Score: Century For Travis Head
Head heading the headlines at Oval!
What a knock this has been from the Adelaide lad. Head came to bat when Australia had lost two set batters in quick successions, but alleviated pressure from his team with counter-aggressive batting. This is his sixth century in Test cricket, and first against India. Sublime stuff.
Australia are 238/3 after 65 overs.
India vs Australia Live Score: India Pegged Back as Runs Flow Freely
We are into the final 15 overs of the day's play, and after what seemed like a balanced first couple of sessions, the situation has taken a completely grim turn for the Indians. None of the bowlers have looked even remotely menacing in the third session, with Travis Head and Steve Smith accumulating runs without breaking much sweat.
Australia are 280/3 after 75 runs. Head is unbeaten on 116, while Smith is batting on 78.
India vs Australia Live Score: Australia Establish Dominance on Day 1
It has been a long, loooong day for the Indian team, its bowlers, and its fans. The only saving grace? It is now finally over, albeit only after the Aussies have firmly, and certainly, established their dominance in the match.
The last session has proved 157 runs in 34 overs, and that too, without the loss of any wickets. Travis Head is playing the knock of his life, being only 30 runs away from his best ever Test figure. He is currently unbeaten on 146 runs from 156 deliveries.
Meanwhile, Steve Smith had a very different approach. Unlike Head's counter-aggressive, 'Smudge' went the usual Smith-esque way of tiring the bowlers out, having scored 95 runs in 227 deliveries. There is every reason to believe he will be scoring his 31st Test century in the early hours of Day 2.
As for India, none of the bowlers have looked really menacing, albeit Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj have bowled well at times. Questions, however, are bound to be raised on Ravichandran Ashwin's exclusion, with Umesh Yadav and Shardul Thakur combining to concede 129 runs in 32 overs, picking up just the solitary wicket.
As Indian fans hope for a much better Day 2, we will be back with all the live updates from the match. Till then, good night!