Key events
After a refreshing cuppa, we have a bowling change. Umesh Yadav revving up. Averages 23.5 in England btw.
So, after an hour’s play, which camp will be happier? I suppose the early wicket means India are leading on points but this has been a handy fight back from the Aussie batters who have started to play some shots.
12th over: Australia 29-1 (Warner 17, Labuschagne 11) That’s a sweet clip off the pads from Labuschagne. Reminded me the Brian Lara Cricket game on PlayStation. Know what I mean? Picture the quintessential flick through the on side in front of square and you’ve got it. That brings him three and that’ll be drinks.
Richard O’Hagan has steered me straight on the question around the Wednesday start:
“I assumed that the Wednesday start was because this Test has a reserve day, which means that Monday has to be kept clear for that. If the game went into Tuesday instead Australia would only have two clear days before the first Ashes test, one of which would be spent travelling up to Birmingham.”
Thanks Rich!
11th over: Australia 26-1 (Warner 17, Labuschagne 8) BANG! Best shot of the day. Shami drops one short to Warner and he jumps all over it, pulling it in front of square off the middle of his bat.
10th over: Australia 22-1 (Warner 13, Labuschagne 8) Outstanding from Siraj. He’s found his area here. Back of a length to Labuschagne with a hint of away seam. Labuschagne is dangling his bat out. He obviously wants to feel the ball, and he does on occasion, but that seems like a risk to me. He’s then pushing it full and beating the half-forward press to thud the pads with a wobble seam that ducks in off the pitch. A maiden of the highest order.
“Hi Dan – writing from a slow day at work here in Delhi. Don’t know why they have scheduled this fixture from Wed to Sun, considering tests (especially those involving India) rarely go the full length – Thu to Mon was the better option. What do you and other OBOers think?”
Thanks for that, Mittu Choudhary. More than happy to distract you from your work.
It’s a good question. My guess is that it’s already such a packed summer with The Hundred squeezing the Ashes. So, if they wanted to get this one in, they had to start it on a Wednesday.
9th over: Australia 22-1 (Warner 13, Labuschagne 8) I started by writing that Shami is like a metronome and then had to quickly edit my thoughts as he follows five perfect balls around a fourth stump line with a splayed delivery onto Labuschagne’s pads. The Aussie batter flicks with a flourish but there’s a man down in the deep so it’s worth just a single.
“Hi Dan. Sorry if I’ve missed this but can you clarify whether a Dukes or Kookaburra ball being used for this test? Unsure of the rules for the WTC final being played in England?”
No need to apologise, Martin Fisher, it’s a good question.
It’s a Dukes. Which is great news in my opinion. I know they had their problems last year but I’d love to see all cricket everywhere in the world played with the pronounced seam of the English ball.
8th over: Australia 21-1 (Warner 13, Labuschagne 7) Labuschagne is such a captivating batter to watch. He was smashed on his finger and then edged the very next ball to third slip. He was playing with soft hands so no danger but it was a sign that Siraj was winning the battle. But as soon as the bowler misdirects Marnus pounces and clips a three through the on side.
“Good Morning Daniel, Good Morning All,”
Hey Em Jackson. All good your side?
”These two sides are doing pretty good so far it must be said, but the question for me with Marnus Labuschange in at the moment is this: Glamorgan or Old South Wales? “
It’s gloomy, Em, if that’s what you mean.
Marnus is cracked on the glove! Wow that exploded off a tricky length and he immediately hurled his glove off his hand. Thumb on his bottom hand by the looks of it. The physio is out taking a look.
7th over: Australia 18-1 (Warner 13, Labuschagne 4) Shami must be such a nightmare for left handers. Because he’s able to get an angle ball to hold its line he can beat you on either edge. One that goes on with the arm catches Warner’s inside edge and flies down to fine leg for a single. Labuschagne also has his work cut out for him. Shami brings one back from a distance which bamboozles Marnus who shoulders arms before admonishing himself. He’ll need to switch back on as he’s facing the next over thanks to a quickly taken single in the covers.
6th over: Australia 16-1 (Warner 12, Labuschagne 3) Siraj is a touch too straight so Marnus can nudge a scampered single off his hips. Warner then slashes at a bit of width and it flies down to the deep third fence. Strange one, that. Not sure Siraj will mind too much as it seemed too close to play with a horizontal bat. The very next ball is marginally straighter but Warner is still chopping down on it with an angled blade and that almost takes the edge. Warner bags another three with a biff through mid-on. Lively over.
5th over: Australia 8-1 (Warner 5, Labuschagne 2) The first real shot of authority comes from Warner who gets a good stride in and punches down the ground. He doesn’t get all of it but will come back for a third. Earlier in the piece he was thwacked on his pad and Shami went up with confidence. Too high though. There’s a bye in the mix as well which means Labuschagne will face up to Siraj next over.
“Hello Daniel. A halfway decent County attack would have the Aussies all out by now!”
I’m with you, Matthew Doherty, Chris Rushworth would be tearing things up!
4th over: Australia 4-1 (Warner 2, Labuschagne 2) Marnus is off the mark with a flick down to fine leg that brings him a couple. But other than that stray onto the pads it’s a brilliant set from Siraj who gets the breakthrough with a gem that left Khawaja poking at the ball from his crease.
WICKET! Khawaja c Bharat b Siraj 0 (Australia 2-1)
Beauty! Angled across Khawaja, the opener has to play at it and feathers a catch behind. It was the length that did him there. He couldn’t get all the way forward and was left prodding from his crease with little footwork. Sometimes you’ve just got to take your hat off to the bowler.
3rd over: Australia 2-0 (Warner 2, Khawaja 0) Very good from Shami. When he gets it right it’s almost unplayable. His fourth ball is a jaffa that explodes off a length and leaves Warner jabbing like a punch drunk boxer. One delivery is too straight though and the Aussie can deftly nudge the first runs of the morning through a vacant midwicket.
2nd over: Australia 0-0 (Warner 0, Khawaja 0) It’s Mohammad Siraj from the other end. He’s getting some lift from over the wicket to Khawaja who is standing fractionally out of his crease. A firm(ish) nudge off the pads is well fielded at square leg. Khawaja has a little poke at one that angled across him but otherwise looks comfortable enough.
1st over: Australia 0-0 (Warner 0, Khawaja 0) Shami from round the wicket into the left handed Warner is on the money straight away. He’s found a great length and is troubling the Aussie. His third ball jags back a long way and isn’t far away from Warner’s off stump.
The pitch is greeeeeeeeen! This will be a spicy opening session. Shami with the new rock in his hand. Warner will face up first.
“Morning Dan”
Morning Krishna Moorthy. Good to hear from you.
“Test cricket is the only version worth talking about (for purists at least). ODIs (earlier) and T20s (now) have destroyed the game. It is only Bham Bham Bham now. Hoping it is a cracker
“I have a hunch that it will be a wake up call to the much-hyped Indian team.”
We’re blessed to have multiple formats and I hope they all thrive. Enjoy it pal.
The players are wearing black armbands and are currently observing a minute’s silence for those who lost their lives in a horrific train crash in India this past weekend.
It means everything. And nothing. Everywhere and nowhere. It’s a conundrum, isn’t it?
Silliness aside, it just shows how brutal cricket is. Any other team sport would simply place their maverick on the bench and bring him on later. Of course that’s not possible here and I think India were spooked by their decision to not play the extra seamer two years ago against New Zealand. That ultimately cost them. Sharma wasn’t going to make the same mistake against the Aussies.
Ashwin being the #1 Test bowler and not playing…. again… sums it up doesn’t it? #1 where? Who’s good? Who is good where? What does any of this mean? This isn’t even Devon Conway’s favourite thing
— Ian Higgins (@1an_Higgins) June 7, 2023
While we wait for the openers to pad up, why don’t you get stuck in to Geoff’s delicious preview:
I did say it was a good toss to lose.
Australia will be very happy losing the toss and batting first. No 2nd spinner also for india later on day 3 and rest of the match. If Aus can get a score around 324 – 336 in the first innings , they will have a huge advantage.
— Prasanna (@prasannalara) June 7, 2023
“Hi Dan,”
Hi Ben Morris. Thanks for being my first correspondent for the day. What’s on your mind?
“You will likely be a better informed observer than myself, so I bow to your opinion, but is it really right to say that Australia and India have been the best teams over the last 2 years? Considering England’s form?”
If we’re talking just the last 12 months then yes, I’d have England right up there. But most league tables don’t lie and I don’t think this one does.
India pick four seamers on seaming deck
It has to be a pretty strong side to leave out the best Test bowler in the world and that’s what India have unfurled here.
India: Sharma (c), Gill, Pujara, Kohli, Rahane, Bharat (wk), Jadeja, Thakur, Yadav, Shami, Siraj.
Australia banking on Warner to come good
Matthew Hayden says the Aussie opener is “on thin ice” coming into this one. A strong start here will be vital.
Australia: Warner, Khawaja, Labuschagne, Smith, Head, Green, Carey (wk), Starc, Cummins (c), Lyon, Boland.
India win the toss, bowl first
Rohit Sharma has the coin flip go his way and cites “conditions” as the reason for his decision.
Ravi Aswhin, the No.1 ranked Test bowler in the world, is left out. They go for four seamers instead.
Pat Cummins says he would have bowled first too but doesn’t think it will make much a difference. No Josh Hazlewood remember. Still a handy bowling line-up.
No doubt you’ve seen the news, but just in case, MOEEN ALI WILL PLAY IN THE ASHES!
It’s kind of a big deal. Before we turn our full attention to the WTC final, have a go on this:
It’s gloomy in south London. If the captains have their heads in the clouds they’ll want to have a bowl. But conventional wisdom in these parts tell you that batting first is the right option. England, though, have been going well at home bowling first regardless of the weather.
A good toss to lose I reckon.
Preamble
Daniel Gallan
On the surface, this promises to be a cracking game of cricket. They’re unquestionably the two best red ball teams over the last two years with superstar batters up and down the line and bowlers to match them. Chuck them all together on a lively pitch in south London and you’ve got all the ingredients of a contest for the ages.
Take a step back, though, and a far more complex narrative forms into view.
This is not simply a Test match. In many ways the future of cricket’s most antiquated but beloved iteration is at stake here. The game is struggling on its frontiers. Young players are turning their backs on it for more glitzy and lucrative codes. A dud over the next five days could be catastrophic.
Perhaps I’m being hyperbolic but this is fuelled by hyperbole. It matters because enough of us believe that it matters and history shows us that success for India in an ICC event can galvanise a format.
Their 50-over triumph in 1983 catapulted Test cricket’s rival into a new stratosphere and their victory in the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup set the wheels in motion for the Indian Premier League. Perhaps success over the next five days could do something similar?
Well, not if Pat Cummins and his Aussies have anything to say about it. The men in baggy green will start as favourites. But only just. This really could go either way as we undulate over spells and sessions and days.
Test cricket. Don’t you just love it?
My name is Daniel, but feel free to call me Dan. Drop an email or send a tweet. I promise I check them all.
Play starts at 10:30 BST, 3pm IST & 7:30pm AEST. Toss and team news to follow.
