‘India can comeback into the game only if they pick up…’ Dinesh Karthik charts the way forward for India in 2023 WTC final
Team India did not get off to a good start in the World Test Championship final (WTC) as Australia ended Day 1 on 327-3. The main contributors with the bat for the Kangaroos were Steven Smith and Travis Head. Head scored at a quick strike rate and cut and pulled his way through a quick unbeaten innings of 146 off 156 balls with 22 fours and one six. Steven Smith too plied on the misery as he finished Day 1 on an unbeaten 95 off 227 balls with 14 fours.
Dinesh Karthik when taking about Team India’s chances of making a comeback said that they have a tall order ahead of themselves. He said come what may India need to pick up at least three early wickets to stem the flow of runs and not allow Australia to run away with the match be restricting them to the 400 or 420 mark. India could only pick up three wickets on Day 1.
If Australia are not bundled out early on Day 2, it will be very hard work for India -Dinesh Karthik
“If India need to come back in the game, make no mistake, there’s only chance is if they pick 3 early wickets in first session. If they don’t do that, we will be way behind. Immediately, we will start looking at draw as a win. Australia have a long batting lineup, if you don’t get them before 400-420, it’s going to be a real hard work,” Karthik said on Cricbuzz. Head and Smith took Australia out of troubled waters when they were 76-3 at one stage.
The two got together and formed an unbeaten partnership of 251 off 370 balls to take the Kangaroos to the end of Day 1. India’s ploy of going with a bowling attack of four seamers and one spinner appears to have backfired as the experts feel that the pitch will spin as the game progresses and that India made a big mistake of not playing Ravichandran Ashwin in the Indian playing XI.
“Travis shifted the momentum,” Steve Smith told the BBC after the end of first day’s play. “(India) were perhaps a bit short in that middle session but Travis was putting pressure on them so it was a fine line.” India lost the 2021 WTC final to New Zealand at Southampton.
