LONDON, JUNE 8
India lost its openers cheaply after bowling out Australia for 469 by tea on day two of the World Test Championship final at the Oval on Thursday.
Captain Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill were dismissed in the space of five balls and India was 37-2 at tea. Virat Kohli came out to a roar from the sun-soaked crowd and was on 4 with Cheteshwar Pujara on 3.
Sharma pulled the second ball of the innings by Mitchell Starc behind square to the boundary but he lasted less than half an hour. After scoring 15 off 26 balls, he was rapped on the front pad below the knee roll by Pat Cummins and out leg before. He walked after Gill told him not to review.
India was 30-1 in the sixth over then 30-2 when Gill played no shot to a nip-backer by Scott Boland which smashed into his off stump. Gill had 13.
The Australians were already excited by the Oval pitch for their seamers as their own innings was coming to an end. The pitch was offering sideways movement, variable bounce, and not much turn.
Australia was all out for 469 inside an hour after lunch. The last seven wickets were taken for 108 runs in a good comeback by India after Australia threatened 500-plus while Travis Head and Steve Smith were in.
But after the morning exits of both century-makers, only Alex Carey reached double figures.
Carey got to 48 after hitting spinner Ravindra Jadeja high over the mid-on fence, but he lunged at the next ball for an ill-advised reverse sweep and missed. India reviewed the not out call and got Carey lbw.
Carey appeared not to have learned his lesson on the tour of India in February-March when he was out making the same shot three times in six bats. Instead, Australia's last recognized batter missed a fourth half-century and, more importantly, a chance to shepherd the tail to a 500 total.
Mohammed Siraj led the India attack with four wickets, notably Head, and Mohammed Shami and Shardul Thakur took two each.
