"The GOAT" - Fans erupt as Steve Smith hits 95* against India on Day 1 of WTC 2023 final

Australia vice-captain Steve Smith starred with the bat against Team India on Day 1 of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final at the Oval in London on Wednesday, June 7.

Smith remained unbeaten on 95 runs off 227 balls, comprising 14 boundaries. The senior batter spent quality time at the crease and played the role of an anchor during his 251* partnership with Travis Head for the fourth wicket. The duo took all the Indian bowlers to the cleaners, leaving the World's No.1 Test team in tatters.

Smith loves facing Team India, against whom he has amassed 1887 runs in 32 Tests, including six tons, barring the ongoing fixture. At the Kennington Oval, the 34-year-old has scored 391 runs in five innings at an average of 97.75, except ongoing game.

Fans on Twitter hailed Steve Smith for his exceptional batting performance against India in the WTC final. One tweeted:

Travis Head and Steve Smith help Australia dominate India on Day 1

A clinical batting performance from Travis Head and Steve Smith helped Australia dominate India on Day 1 of the WTC final.

Head, in particular, remained unbeaten on 146, which included one six and 22 boundaries. The 29-year-old hit the first century in the history of the WTC final. The duo will now look to continue their exploits with the bat on Day 2.

David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne also chipped in with scores of 43 and 26, respectively. Meanwhile, Usman Khawaja failed to leave an impact, departing for a duck.

For India, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, and Shardul Thakur returned with one wicket each. Umesh Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja returned wicketless. The bowling unit will now look to stage a fightback on Day 2.

Earlier in the day, Team India dropped World No.1 Test bowler Ravichandran Ashwin for the one-off Test.

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