“There will be pressure, but India can also put up a big score on this pitch” - Sanjay Manjrekar hopeful of India’s fightback in WTC final

Former Indian batter Sanjay Manjrekar admitted that India are on the back foot after Day 1 of the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia. He, however, asserted that the pitch at The Oval is a good one to bat on and hence a solid Indian batting effort cannot be ruled out.

India won the toss and bowled first on Day 1 of the WTC final against the Aussies. They started well, reducing the opposition to 76/3. However, a terrific partnership of 251* between Travis Head (146*) and Steve Smith (95*) saw Australia end the day in the ascendancy at 327/3.

While previewing Day 2 of the WTC final, Manjrekar opined that India will have to bowl with patience and not leak easy runs.

He told ESPNcricinfo:

“India will have to bowl with patience on Day 2. If there is a partnership, runs can be scored quickly on this ground. India will have to stop that. If the partnership continues, not only Jadeja, but the other bowlers as well with have to try and keep things tight.”

The former batter opined that if India can keep Australia to under 400, they would have done a good job, adding the batters can take it from there.

Manjrekar added:

“If India are able to bowl out Australia for under 400, it would be a very good comeback. India will have to bat very well in the first innings to make this match exciting. No edge carried to slip on Day 1, so this pitch might be favoring batters a lot more. We could entertain the thought that India too might be able to bat well on this surface.

“There will be pressure, but India can also put up a big score on this pitch.”

Looking at India’s batting, Shubman Gill is in great form, but skipper Rohit Sharma has been short of runs. Middle-order batter Ajinkya Rahane is also on a comeback.

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“The tactics they employed came a bit late” - Manjrekar assesses India’s bowling

Head played a superb knock for Australia, striking 22 fours and a six in his unbeaten ton. While praising the aggressive left-hander, Manjrekar opined that tactically India were not on the mark.

He elaborated:

“Head is a special player, but the one mistake I feel India made throughout the day was that the tactics they employed came a bit late. In the first session, the ball was swinging and there as a lot of playing and missing. If batters are playing and missing, that means the bowlers are bowling shorter. Had they bowled a fuller line, things might have been different.

“In the second session, [Mohammed] Shami bowled it up to the batter and dismissed [Marnus] Labuschagne.” Manjrekar added, “The bouncer was used more in the second session and less in the first, but by then the batters were set. The timing of the tactics was not quite right.”

Shami (1/77), Mohammed Siraj (1/67), and Shardul Thakur (1/75) were the wicket-takers for India on Day 1 of the WTC final.