India suffered big blows in its reply to Australia’s first innings total of 469 all out as openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill were back in the pavilion. India was 87 for four after tea on Day two with Ajinkya Rahane unbeaten on 17 and Ravindra Jadeja on 8.
Mitchell Starc got the big wicket of Virat Kohli (14) when the Indian star was bounced out by the Australian pacer. Cheteshwar Pujara (14) was third wicket to fall after he was dismissed by Cameron Green.
Openers Rohit (15) was lbw to Pat Cummins while Gill (13) was bowled by Scott Boland. Earlier, India dismissed centurions Travis Head and Steve Smith as they battled back against Australia on the second day of the World Test Championship final at The Oval on Thursday.
India were facing a huge Australian first-innings total with Smith (121) and Head (163) at the crease.
But their pacemen struck as Australia, who had been 361-3, lost four wickets for 41 runs, with Head and Smith dismissed.
Smith had batted in relatively sedate fashion to reach 95 not out off 227 balls overnight while Head blazed his way to an unbeaten 146 off just 156 balls.
But Smith wasted little time in reaching his hundred, taking just two more balls in Thursday’s opening over to reach the landmark by clipping successive Mohammed Siraj deliveries for legside fours.
The 34-year-old Smith joined compatriot Steve Waugh in having scored seven Test hundreds in England.
Among non-England batsman, only Australia great Don Bradman, with 11 centuries, has scored more.
It was also Smith’s third Test century at The Oval and 31st in total, leaving him 12th on the all-time list.
Head extended his first overseas Test century to 150 with a superbly cut four off a Mohammed Shami ball that was only fractionally short.
But the left-hander continued to look uncom-fortable against short-pitched bowling and a short ball proved his undoing when he tried to whip Siraj legside and gloved a simple catch to wicketkeeper Srikar Bharat.
Head’s dismissal ended an impressive stand of 285 runs with Smith after they had come together with Australia in trouble at 76-3 after losing the toss.
Soon afterwards there was another wicket for an India-dominated crowd to celebrate at a sun-drenched Oval when Cameron Green (six) edged a drive off Shami, bowling from wide of the crease, and Shub-man Gill held a sharp chance at second slip.
Shardul Thakur then captured the prized wicket of Smith, who inside-edged an outswinger into his stumps, with India suddenly into Australia’s tail. Mitchell Starc did not last long, run out by substitute fielder Axar Patel for five.
The WTC is the only major men’s cricket trophy Australia have yet to win. India are appearing in their second WTC final, having lost to New Zealand in the inaugural 2021 showpiece match in Southampton.—APP
