WTC 2023 | Honest self-assessment and tough calls the need of the hour for India

Rohit’s instinctive decision to bowl first, in the WTC Final, after seeing the dark clouds before the toss failed to produce the desired result.

Even before the first delivery of the ICC World Test Championship Final was bowled, India was behind the eight ball. The team looked up to the sky before the toss, saw the dark clouds, and decided to field.

It was an instinctive distinction without keeping in mind that things are bound to change over five days. The help for the seamers lasted all of the first session before the sun came out and the pitch started to ease up.

India bowling coach Paras Mhambrey later stated that it was the “conditions in the morning” that prompted the inclusion of a fourth pacer. This led to off-spinner R. Ashwin, the top-ranked Test bowler in the world with proven excellence, carrying drinks.

Once Australia saw off the morning movement, it was smooth sailing. Under the scorching sun, runs came in a flurry from Travis Head and Steve Smith. Had Ashwin been around, the four southpaws in the Australia batting unit could have found the going tough.

But instead, pacer Umesh Yadav (presumably Ashwin’s replacement in the eleven) failed to make a mark. Australia went on to make an impressive 469 in the first essay — a total that head coach Rahul Dravid felt was well above the par score.

A result of indisciplined bowling, offering wide freebies to Head on far too many occasions, India never really recovered from a top-order collapse which left the team at 71 for four.

Shubman Gill and Cheteshwar Pujara were castled while shouldering arms and it was only fighting knocks from Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur that kept the game alive. The trio prevented a quick demise, giving hope to the big contingent of India supporters at The Oval.