WTC Final, IND vs AUS Highlights: Australia ends Day 1 with 327/3

Australia emerged as the dominant force on day 1, as the batting side scored 327/3 in 85 overs.

India have taken the new ball in the 81st over of the match. 

Travis Head has scored a century off 106 balls. Australia 233/3 in 64.4 overs. 

Steve Smith has brought up his half-century off 144 balls. Australia 226/3 in 62 overs. 

The Aussies have managed to shrug off their initial difficulties with a brilliant comeback in the second session. Australia 170/3 in 51 overs

Travis Head and Steve Smith have built a solid partnership of 93 runs. Australia 169/3 in 49.3 overs

Australia's Travis Head strikes a half-century after he reached 52 runs in 61 balls

Australia keeps itself firm after reaching 144/3 in 39 overs

Team India developed promising fielding after saving runs and taking down three wickets

While

Team Australia reached the 100-run mark after touching 104 after 30 overs

Shami and Siraj continue their glorious spell as Australia stands at 89/3 in 27 overs

Mohammed Shami takes down Marnus Labuschagne in session 2, Australia at 76/3

Shardul Thakur dismissed David Warner for 43 off 60 balls. KS Bharat took a sensational catch behind the stumps. AUS 71/2 in 21.4 overs. 

What a great session of Test cricket that has been, worthy of a final with the pendulum swinging both ways. Labuschagne and Warner were looking solid and had started to threaten India, but Shardul Thakur worked his magic and dismissed Warner while he was batting on 43.

Day 1, 1st Session in a nutshell

• India win toss, elect to bowl first
• Md. Siraj makes the most of the overcast conditions and dismisses Usman Khwaja
• Marnus Labuschage survives two LBW scares and stitches a strong partnership with Warner
• Shardul Thakur strikes just before the luch as he dismisses David Warner

Marnus Labushagne survived the LBW scare twice, both times off Shardul Thakur's bowling. 

Mohammed Siraj bowled a lethal delivery to Marnus Labuschagne, who was seen in pain and was provided assistance by the team doctor. 

David Warner smashed his maiden boundary in the 6th over that was being bowled by Mohammed Siraj. It is also the first boundary for Australia in the match.  

Siraj strikes early for India. Usman Khawaja knicks one to the keeper and departs on a duck. Australia are 2-1.

David Warner off the mark. Australia on the mark with a couple of runs on board. Australia are 2/0.

No run scored in the first over. Australia are 0/0 after first over.

The WTC final is underway. Mohammed Shami has the ball and David Warner is on strike.

Indian as well as the Australian players are wearing the black arm band to pay tribute to the crushing train accident that shook the entire country.

We are just 600 seconds away from witnessing the first ball being bowled. 

The match that the world has its eyes on, The WTC final will start at 3 PM IST. 

• Australia (Playing XI): David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey(w), Pat Cummins(c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland
• India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Srikar Bharat(w), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj

We are going to bowl. The conditions and also the weather being overcast. The pitch won't change too much. Four seamers and one spinner. The spinner is Jadeja. It's always tough (to leave Ashwin), he's been a match-winner. He (Rahane) brings a lot of experience, he's played 80-odd Tests.

India captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and elects to bowl first. 

The captains are about to take the field in about 2 minutes.

BCCI shared a pic of Team India's Huddle from the Oval. 

Huddle Time 🕰️#TeamIndia | #WTC23 pic.twitter.com/2c6EB9lYwO

— BCCI (@BCCI) June 7, 2023

Both the captains will on the field for the toss in about 10 minutes.

Ishan Kishan is in the contention along with KS Bharat for the wicketkeeper's spot. Will he make his debut at the grandest stage? It is all heading towards a climax and the Toss will deliver the concluding picture.

The all-important toss is about to take place in an hour's time

As per Michael Vaughan, it is a win the toss and bowl first wicket. 

It will play very very well .. and will get better & better so I would bowl first .. especially if clouds are around tomorrow 👍 https://t.co/fLr7kZWE6q

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) June 6, 2023

• India: Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Ishan Kishan, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj
• Australia: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, TM Head, C Green, AT Carey(wk), Pat Cummins(C), Mitchell Starc, SM Boland, Nathan Lyon

As injury forced KL Rahul out there is uncertainty regarding who will fill the wicketkeeper's spot. Will it be KS Bharat with some bit of experience in International Tests or will Ishan Kishan make his Test debut at the biggest Test stage of them all?

The Oval is known for its fast and bouncy pitches, however, over the years, the role of spinners has also come to play. The pitch is expected to be hard, with some green cover, on it. Thus, some good cricketing action is set to underway.  

The Oval has proven to be a happy hunting ground for Rohit Sharma. During India's tour of England in 2021, the right-hander scored a blistering 127 that guided India to a famous 155-run victory. So, with the battleground the same, will he be able to produce similar heroics?  

Australia has been one of his favorite sides to bat against and the stage cannot be bigger and better. So, will Virat Kohli finally have a say in the final? All to look forward to in the WTC final.

The WTC Final 2023 between India and Australia will begin today. Today will be the Day 1 of the 5-day affair. It has been a roller coaster ride for both teams. Australia have defeated teams like West Indies, South Africa, and Pakistan to make it into the final, whereas India got the better of New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Australia to get to the final. The final is a shot at redemption for India, who lost the inaugural WTC final against New Zealand two years back. So, will India break the string of disappointing run in ICC tournaments, or will Australia lift the eminent WTC mace? All to look forward to here. So, from the news on the playing XI to the toss update to ultimately who will draw the first blood, everything will be updated here.  

The India vs Australia WTC Final 2023 will take place at the Oval. The match is scheduled for a 3 PM IST start.

The match will teleacast at Star Sports network and it will be live streamed on the Disney+ Hotstar app and website.