What happened during Day 2 of WTC 2023 final in IND vs AUS Test?

Team India remained on the back foot after Day 2 of the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia at The Oval on Thursday, June 8. Responding to Australia’s first-innings total of 469, India went to stumps at 151/5 after 38 overs, trailing by 318 runs.

After being in the field for over 120 overs, India got off to a nervous start with the bat and lost four big wickets for 71 runs inside 20 overs. Skipper Rohit Sharma (15) was the first to go, trapped lbw by Pat Cummins as he missed his leg-side clip.

Shubman Gill (13) and Cheteshwar Pujara (14) paid the price for poor leaves. Gill did not offer a stroke to a delivery from Scott Boland that angled in and could only watch in horror as the ball crashed into off stump. Pujara also tentatively left one from Cameron Green and was cleaned up.

India’s hopes of a fightback rested heavily on Virat Kohli. He looked in decent touch but, having made 14, he got a brute from Mitchell Starc. A delivery angled across the batter climbed sharply, caught the shoulder of the bat, and clipped the gloves before lobbing to second slip, where Steve Smith took a good leaping catch.

The batting side could have been five down for 87 as Cummins trapped Ajinkya Rahane lbw for 17 with one that jagged back in sharply. But the comeback man survived as the Australian skipper had overstepped. On the very next ball, Rahane was in pain as he was struck on the gloves by a delivery that angled in.

Rahane and Ravindra Jadeja (48 off 51) lifted India with a fifth-wicket stand of 71. The latter batted with positive intent, striking seven fours and a six. India were, however, dealt a massive blow a few overs before stumps on Day 2 of the WTC final. The canny Nathan Lyon induced an edge off Jadeja with a flighted delivery and Steve Smith at slip did the rest.

At the close of play on Day 2, Rahane was batting on a defiant 29 off 71 and Srikar Bharat on 5.

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Siraj claims four, but Australia finish with 469

Resuming the day at 327/3, Australia extended their first innings to 469. Smith, who was 95* overnight, reached three figures in the first over of the day, flicking two loose deliveries from Mohammed Siraj for consecutive boundaries.

Travis Head, who resumed his innings on 146, eased part 150 by cutting Mohammed Shami to the left of the gully for four. Boundaries came with ease for the Aussie duo until Head finally gloved a well-directed short ball off Siraj to the keeper. He was dismissed for 163 off 174 balls, ending a fourth-wicket stand of 285.

Shami then induced an edge off Green’s (6) bat and Gill took a smart catch at second slip. Smith’s fine vigil ended on 121 off 268 balls as he chopped a length delivery from Shardul Thakur back onto the stumps. India’s fightback continued as substitute fielder Axar Patel ran out Starc (5) with a brilliant one-handed direct hit, charging to his left from mid-off.

At 402/7, India were in with a chance of keeping Australia to under 450. However, Alex Carey (48 off 69) played a typically aggressive knock to take the batting side past the score.

The keeper-batter was trapped lbw by Jadeja as he missed his reverse sweep. Siraj then dismissed Lyon (9) and Cummins (9) to finish with 4/108. Australia ended their first innings on 469 in 121.3 overs.