India did well to restrict Australia to 469, but a top-order collapse left the side in a hole on day 2 of the ICC World Test Championship final in London. The Australian pacers stuck to their well-worked plans to reduce India to 151 for five.
India, which trails by 318 runs, needs a herculean effort from Ajinkya Rahane (29 n.o., 71b, 4x4) and K.S. Bharat (5 n.o., 14b) to stay afloat.
Steve Smith scored his 31st Test century before Australia captain Pat Cummins sparked India’s collapse. Smith, 95 not out overnight, followed team-mate Travis Head in going to three figures with 121 in a first-innings total of 469 at The Oval.
England’s Stuart Broad tried to rile Australia before this match by saying he hoped Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli kept Cummins’s men in the field for a long time ahead of next week’s first Ashes Test at Edgbaston.
But both senior India batsmen fell for 14 on Thursday.
The WTC is the only major men’s cricket trophy Australia have yet to win.
India is appearing in its second WTC final, having lost to New Zealand in the inaugural 2021 showpiece match in Southampton.
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