"Siraj and Shami had to bowl their 2nd spells in the 1st session" - Ravi Shastri on India's tactical mistakes on Day 1 of the WTC final

Ravi Shastri has criticized India's usage of Mohammed Siraj and Mohammad Shami in the first session of the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

Australia ended Day 1 of the WTC final at The Oval on Wednesday (June 7) at 327/3. Siraj and Shami, who picked up a wicket apiece, looked the most threatening Indian bowlers and the Aussie batters didn't look too troubled once the likes of Umesh Yadav and Shardul Thakur were introduced into the attack.

While reviewing the day's play on Star Sports, Shastri was asked whether India could have done anything differently, to which he responded:

"Once you had picked the team, it's fine - Ashwin played or not and that you fielded. But you could have been tactically much sounder after that. Siraj and Shami had to bowl their second spells in the first session."

The former Indian head coach feels Siraj and Shami were overused with the new ball, reasoning:

"They gave too long spells to Shami and Siraj at the start. You know they have not played first-class cricket for three or four months and it will be difficult to bowl the entire day. The thinking should have been that this pitch will improve once the sun comes out, so they should have been preserved and used at the right time."

Shastri added that the two strike weapons should have bowled the majority of the overs in the first session:

"So, in my opinion, a short first spell and all four fast bowlers should have been used in the first two hours of play. Siraj and Shami should have done 70% of the bowling in the first session."

Siraj and Shami bowled six overs apiece with the new ball and didn't bowl thereafter in the first session. They were simultaneously removed from the attack, with Umesh and Shardul replacing the duo. David Warner then smashed Umesh for four fours in his second over to change the momentum of the game.

---

"The Indian team allowed the game to drift" - Ravi Shastri

Travis Head took full advantage of India's benevolence.

Ravi Shastri concluded by pointing out that Travis Head and Steve Smith made India pay for their tactical errors:

"These are small-small things, the wicket became good later. They could have given them three or four-over spells later and could have used Jadeja more in the second session. The Indian team allowed the game to drift and those two players, especially Travis Head who is an attacking player, did their job."

Head (146*) and Smith (95*) have strung together an unbroken 251-run fourth-wicket partnership. The Indian bowlers will have to separate the duo early on the second morning to have any chance of staging a comeback into the game.