Assessing the day's play, Team India wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik opined that if Rohit Sharma's men don't bag a couple of quick wickets on Day 2, their best bet would be to look for a draw as Australia will run away with the game.
"If India need to come back in the game, make no mistake, there's only chance is if they pick 3 early wickets in first session. If they don't do that, we will be way behind. Immediately, we will start looking at draw as a win. Australia have a long batting lineup, if you don't get them before 400-420, it's going to be a real hard work,” Karthik told Cricbuzz, as quoted by Hindustan Times.
The World Test Championship (WTC) final got underway on June 7 (Wednesday) and Team India was pushed on the back foot by the mighty Australian batting attack on just the opening day of the Test match at The Oval, London. Travis Head took a leaf out of 'Bazball' and stroked a counter-attacking century while the 'best Test batter of this generation' Steve Smith rose to the challenge in a crunch ICC knockout game just like he had done several times before.
Head's unbeaten 146-run knock coupled with Smith's 95 not out propelled the Baggy Greens' total to an imposing 327/3 at the stumps on Day 1.
In order to make a comeback into the match, India needs to win the morning session of Day 2 by picking wickets in a cluster and utilise the second new ball in the best possible manner. The Indian players need to come out with energy and determination against two set batters, who looked in ominous touch on Day 1.
The onus would be on Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj to make things happen with the second new ball and change the dynamics of the game.
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