LONDON, JUNE 7
Australia survived a stressful first hour from India's prime quicks to reach lunch at 73-2 on the first day of the World Test Championship final at the Oval on Wednesday.
Usman Khawaja was out for a duck early and Australia would have felt fortunate in that first hour to have lost only its leading run-scorer in this WTC cycle. Then fellow opener David Warner miscued a pull just before lunch and was out for 43.
A battered Marnus Labuschagne rode his luck to be 26 at the first interval with Steve Smith the new batter.
India chose to bowl first, as Australia would have, in bowler-friendly overcast conditions on a green-tinged pitch. The world's top-ranked test bowler, spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, was left out and India would have wondered how new-ball bowlers Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami managed to take only one wicket between them in a thrilling first hour.
They beat the edge frequently, drawing gasps from the distinctly pro-India crowd.
Warner and Khawaja, who at 36 years old each were the oldest Australia opening batters since 1926, were uncomfortable in the face of Siraj's and Shami's accuracy and pace.
Khawaja was gone in the fourth over, edging Siraj behind after a fraught 10 deliveries.
Then a 144 kph lifter from Siraj hit Labuschagne's left thumb and the Australian dropped his bat in pain. Given a painkiller on the field, Labuschagne carried on and conceded an outside edge that just fell short of third slip.
The end of Siraj's and Shami's spells, and the sun breaking through, saw the Australians open up.
Labuschagne's first boundary was conceded by Shardul Thakur, and Warner crashed Umesh Yadav's second over with a boundary through point, then three consecutive boundaries through cover point, over the cordon and wide of a vacant gully.
Labuschagne survived lbw reviews on 16 and 20 off Thakur's bowling and he and Warner appeared to be settled and looking safe with lunch looming.
But Warner gloved Thakur down the leg side and KS Bharat took a great diving catch to his right. Warner, who has planned his retirement, made 43 off 60 balls with eight boundaries and gave India renewed hope.
