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World Test Championship Final: Australia V India, Day One – Live

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38th over: Australia 141-3 (Smith 28, Head 37) Thanks Dan and hello everyone. What an absorbing contest we’ve got here. Travis Head has suddenly gone from living it large to living dangerously. After wafting at one just now, he gets a nick over the slips for four. It was a no-ball anyway from Thakur, but Head is beginning to show why his average plummets when he leaves Australia. Smith, meanwhile, is moving smoothly through the gears: he plays a cover-drive for four, then moves across to flick for four more. Sixteen off the over.

37th over: Australia 125-3 (Smith 19, Head 32) Siraj pelts Head in the stomach and then digs one in which prompts an ugly cross bat swipe at the ball. An appeal from behind the stumps, led by Kohli, gets everyone interested, but the bat is miles from the rising ball. Maiden over.

With that, I’ll sign off and hand over to the excellent Tim de Lisle. Thanks for keeping me company. Catch you soon.

“Hi Daniel,” Hi Jon Harris.

“It is just me – or is Smith’s bat so far away from his pads…. it’s like he is reaching for the ball instead of getting his foot to the pitch of the ball.”

I’m not going to be overly critical of one of the best batters that’s ever played the game, but you’re right. He does play away from his body. But it clearly works. Watch his head position and focus on his weight transfer instead. His hands might be coming from an odd angle but doing so with his body in a solid position.

That’ll be drink. Good fight back from Australia with Head leading the charge. He’s raced to 32 off 28 balls.

36th over: Australia 125-3 (Smith 19, Head 32) A wonderful clip through midwicket for four from Smith eases some of the pressure that was building. The Indian bowlers had done well to restrict the batters but this one, from Thakur, is too full and straight and Smith is too good to miss out.

Got a couple of readers helping out those who are keen to listen to some commentary:

Harry Chapman has this: “As an Englishmen in the US I’m using the SEN NZ link: SEN link www.sen.com.au/listen-live-nz/

“Unfortunately the students I’m teaching English and History too keep interrupting with questions and needing help with assignments. Who would be a high school teacher during the summer eh?”

And P Robson has kindly sent in this: “Scrolling down the comments I see that TMS is hard to find. Download the Australian ABC app go to ABC Sport and bob’s your uncle. It may be zone limited (the app in general is not) but it is out there – listening to Aggers as I write.”

Good luck folks.

35th over: Australia 120-3 (Smith 15, Head 31) Siraj to Smith is shaping up nicely. Neither dominating. Both respecting each other. Smith gets two with a tuck off his hips. Siraj holding his line well.

34th over: Australia 117-3 (Smith 13, Head 30) Better length from Thakur. He’s targeting the stumps and getting it up. The movement through the air is preventing the batters from unleashing full bloodied drives and there’s an appeal for lbw to Smith, but a massive inside edge quietens them down soon enough. Head ticks along with another single to deep sqaure.

This from David Warner (Guessing it’s not the same one..):

“Greetings Dan from a wintry Melbourne. Been a brilliant first few hours, punch and counter punch. For the criticisms and dismay about test cricket and this concept let’s just enjoy this for the brilliant entertainment it is. Now the bargaining about how little sleep I can have before work begins.”

Thanks for joining me Dave. Hope work goes OK on little sleep.

33rd over: Australia 116-3 (Smith 13, Head 29) A maiden from Siraj to Smith who has absorbed the pressure. Settled on a good length but could be slightly fuller. The ball is starting to tail in and out quite late. Get it up a touch and he might be in business.

TMS overseas update: Someone has just been in touch to say that these are only available for England Tests, not WTC events. Sorry folks. Please do let me know if that information is incorrect.

32nd over: 116-3 (Smith 13, Head 29) Thakur back on and he’s troubling Head with a lifting ball from a tricky length. That catches the outside edge and loops just wide of gully. Now it’s Smith who looks uncomfortable but he manages to navigate a leg cutter and then some extra bounce before punching a single between point and cover to close the set.

A very good point raised by Greg Morris on the WTC final venue question. Hard to argue against this. Back to the drawing board.

“In this era of climate crisis, cricket could start to reduce its environmental impact by choosing a (preferably neutral) venue which involves the least travel for teams and fans once the finalists are known. It’s mitigated this time by Australia being here for the ashes, but otherwise the idea of Australia and India playing a one-off game in England is utterly ludicrous viewed through that lens.”

31st over: Australia 113-3 (Smith 12, Head 28) Bang! Bang! Head is on the march. Back to back boundaries – first a wristy flick away to deep square leg and then a dismissive swat behind square on the off side – means he’s striking at 147.36. He closes out the Shami over by stealing a single down the leg side. Wonderful counterattacking from the Aussie.

Travis Head making his mark. Photograph: Glyn Kirk/AFP/Getty ImagesBoth Samuel Fiddian and Heather Wymer have been in touch to inform me that Melbourne has a sports stadium called “The Melbourne Rectangular Stadium” (when not being referred to by the sponsor’s title).

“I’d like to believe there was a sense of humour and irony involved, but I’ve always thought it was simply a massive failure of imagination,” says Sam.

“Every other big stadium in the city is oval to cater for the AFL,” adds Heather.

30th over: Australia 104-3 (Smith 12, Head 19) NO RUN! Smith closes the over with a trademark call and a shuffle down the pitch after bunting the ball to mid on. It started with a cracking shot from Head who picked up the length early and whipped Siraj towards the midwicket fence. It was a poor ball but the shot was wonderful. He’s flying now.

29th over: Australia 99-3 (Smith 12, Head 14) Another good one from Shami as he sticks with that full length. Just a single for Head and a leg bye off it. Smith being asked questions and he’s answering them with a soft bat and shouldered arms.

This is the best suggestion I’ve come across:

For selecting the WTC final venue, neither “always 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿” nor “top qualifier hosts” is a good idea.

Instead:

1) Rotate between the following three regions:

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿/ ☘️ / 🏝️

🇮🇳/ 🇱🇰/ 🇧🇩 / 🇵🇰 / 🇦🇫

🇦🇺/ 🇳🇿/ 🇿🇦/ 🇿🇼

2) Once the finalists have qualified, ensure it’s a neutral venue. t.co/sLLQW09AYx

— Michael Appleton (@michelappleton) June 7, 2023 Hey, Ian Sargeant, you’ve got a guardian angel in the shape of John Foster.

“Re Ian Sargeant in Prague – a) I’m jealous and b) the place to watch cricket was the much missed Bob’s Bar off Old Town Square (managed to drag a companion there to watch a typically rubbish England match in the 2007 World Cup – if an Eastern European can put up with that, you know she loves you). Maybe it’s been resurrected. The Dubliners in Prague 1 is the only other place. They’ll have it on, they have everything on. But it’s not exactly cosy.”Personally, I’d just stump up for the data roaming and settle in for a long afternoon session at U Cerneho Vola with my phone and a never ending flow of beers and sausages.

”Naz dravi!”

28th over: Australia 97-3 (Smith 12, Head 13) Two slips and a gully for Head as he punches, and only narrowly misses a rising ball from Siraj. He then gets down the other end with a little push towards point. Smith looks more assured as he climbs with the bounce and opens the face to collect three past cover. Head is then gifted four runs as Siraj closes the over with a leg side half volley that is given the treatment it deserves.

“I have only been to the Oval once for the Concert for Bangladesh organised by Pete Townsend in August 1971. The Who, in their pomp after the release of “Who’s Next, were top of the bill and tore the place down – in my top 5 concerts of all time. Other acts included Rod and the Faces, Mott the Hoople and America (awful), Linda Lewis and Atomic Rooster. It took us two days to hitchhike home to Glasgow.”

Well, P Robson, if you’re reading this and writing in I’m guessing you’re a cricket fan. In that case I can’t recommend the Oval enough. It’s a terrific ground. Probably my favourite in England. Though Edgbaston and Old Trafford run it close.

27th over: Australia 89-3 (Smith 9, Head 8) A lively set from Shami. Smith gets four down to fine leg but it’s not far from Bharat diving to his left. That prompts a change in the field as the man at fourth slip moves across to leg slip. That in turn encourages Shami to dig in a bumper and there’s an appeal for a glove behind as Smith takes a swipe at it. India on top now. Definite shift in the energy after that wicket.

Sending out an SOS to our OBO readers. Has anyone got a link to the TMS overseas link? I’m having trouble locating it. You’d be doing us all a massive favour!

26th over: Australia 85-3 (Smith 5, Head 8) Travis Head ain’t messing about. He picks up another boundary as he opens the face from a forward press and squeezes one past point. All time, no risk. Lovely shot. Smith adds a single as Australia look to rebuild.

25th over: Australia 80-3 (Smith 4, Head 4) That was the fullest ball Shami bowled to Labuschagne and it did the trick. It was a poor drive from a player who is usually so proficient on the front foot. His head was nowhere near the line of the ball and his hands were well away from his pads. But that’s what happens when you get your length right. The new man Travis head is off the mark with a steer down to a wide deep third off the back foot. Shami won’t mind. He’s got the breakthrough right after lunch.

WICKET! Labuschagne b Shami 26 (Australia 76-3)Got him! Full and angled in and Marnus has been castled. The chat at lunch focussed on India’s length. They were definitely too short at times and their senior bowler has rectified that immediately. Invites the drive and moves it just enough to find the gap between bat and pad. Labuschagne will be annoyed with his shot selection but credit to the bowler.

Marnus Labuschagne falls to Mohammed Shami for the first wicket after lunch. Photograph: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images24th over: Australia 76-2 (Labuschagne 26, Smith 4) Siraj steams in and starts with a wild wide down the leg side. Bharat did well to grab on there. Smith tucks on fine down off his ankles and Shami prevent the boundary with a big boot.

Right then. We’re back at it. Siraj has the ball again. Smith and his understudy, Labuschagne at the crease. Big hour coming up.

“Greetings from Prague,” a delight to have you, Ian Sargeant.

“We (me – elder statesman of West End Esher cc – and Matt – captain of Shepperton cc) have just landed to witness another sporting event today. Thanks for keeping us posted via MBM. Strangely we can’t find a bar with the cricket on. We are trying a few……..”

Ah yes, just a small event going on in the Golden City this evening? Good luck. Hope you manage to source a screen with the cricket on.

Got some bits here on the Oval chat:

Ewan Glenton points out that, “There are of course other cricket grounds called ‘oval’, but this doesn’t seem to be used in other sports; I’ve never heard of a football stadium called ‘The Rectangle’, for example.”

Meanwhile, Tom Paternoster-Howe, says, “Regarding the Oval, Richard O’Hagan is half right. It’s currently called the Kia Oval ‘cos of sponsorship, innit? Also, there was a band called The Band. They were Bob Dylan’s backing band from ’65 to ’67 when he went electric. Scorsese directed the film of their final concert in 1976, called The Last Waltz. It’s dead good.”

I quite The Band, actually. Haven’t heard of that film before. Will check it out. But will have to weight for my shift to end. (sorry)

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