'Big mistake': Aussie rival falls in selection 'trap'; Warner 'sign' to ...

A dazzling century for Travis Head was the highlight on day one of the World Test Championship final against India, helping put Australia in a commanding position at The Oval on Wednesday.

The South Australian combined with vice-captain Steve Smith for an unbeaten 251-run partnership for the fourth wicket, becoming the first cricketer to score a century in a WTC Final.

Smith will be eyeing a Test century of his own on Thursday morning, which would put him ahead of Matthew Hayden and Shivnarine Chanderpaul on the all-time tally.

Australia will resume day two at 3-327.

Get all the latest cricket news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!

WRAP: Head bludgeons epic century as Aussies dominate opening day of WTC Final

‘LIQUID GOLD’: TRAVBALL RETURNS

Before Bazball, there was Travball.

Since his blistering century against England at the Gabba in 2021, Travis Head has persisted with a counterattacking mentality in the Test arena, regardless of the match situation. Whether Australia is in trouble (Hobart 2022) or in complete control (Adelaide 2022), the swashbuckling left-hander isn’t afraid to play his shots, pouncing whenever width is offered or bowlers overpitch.

But despite his recent success in the five-day format, sceptics pointed out he was yet to score a century outside of Australia, arguing he couldn’t replicate his heroics in foreign conditions. Any lingering critics have been silenced after his masterclass at The Oval on Wednesday afternoon.

Head walked to the crease with Australia in a spot of bother at 3-76. Traditionally, a middle-order batter would look steady the ship, get their eye in and patiently build a partnership.

But that’s not how Head plays.

Rather than leave good length deliveries outside off stump, Head threw his arms and sliced it through point. He doesn’t duck when the bowlers pitch short, instead hooking towards leg-side vacancies.

It was fearless, entertaining batting. He’s playing with complete freedom, unfazed by the possibility of failure.

“It’s liquid gold,” Channel 7 presenter James Brayshaw said.

“You talk about Bazball and what England are probably going to serve up, well he’s been ahead of the game on that.

“He plays aggressively, he knows it’s his best chance of succeeding, and it’s glorious to watch … opposition teams don’t know how to cope with it.”

Former Australian coach Justin Langer said on Channel 7: “He’s playing with great freedom, putting pressure back on the Indians.

“It’s like having Adam Gilchrist or Rishabh Pant in your team … he’s making it look like a T20 game.”

Travis Head of Australia. Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images

Within the blink of an eye, Head had combined with Steve Smith for a fifty-run partnership, with the former contributing 32 of those runs. Rarely before has the Australian vice-captain been forced to play second fiddle at the crease.

“Trav just shows time and time again that he finds a way to score runs, whether it’s a seaming green top, like at Hobart last year, where no one else could score a run,” Australian captain Pat Cummins told Fox Cricket earlier this year.

“When a batter’s got that intent towards you, it’s really hard to be accurate. Your margin of error is so small.

“He can turn the game around in a matter of an hour.”

It wasn’t a chanceless knock from the 29-year-old, far from it. He was occasionally troubled by bouncers, with leading edges evading fielders and a bat-pad chance narrowly avoiding the short leg fielder under the helmet.

But Head, who earlier this year vowed to abandon the defensive mentality that plagued him in Asia last winter, once again reaped the rewards of his courageous mindset on Wednesday, guiding Australia towards the superior position at stumps.

The South Australian looms as a crucial figure ahead of the Ashes.

‘BRILLIANT’ WARNER’S SUCCESSFUL ASHES AUDITION

After chief selector George Bailey refused to guarantee that David Warner would play the upcoming Edgbaston Test against England, the World Test Championship final against India doubled as an Ashes audition for the veteran opener.

The 36-year-old needed runs at The Oval this week, otherwise the national selectors would have been forced to consider making some tough decisions ahead of the Ashes.

Thankfully for Warner, he’s almost certainly done enough to cement his spot for the Ashes opener in Birmingham.

All eyes were on Warner after Indian captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to field first on Wednesday morning. He survived a probing opening spell from Indian quick Mohammed Shami, who relentlessly peppered a good length with the swinging Dukes ball from around the wicket.

Shami nipped a delivery past the left-hander’s inside edge in the fourth over, with the ball thudding into Warner’s thigh guard. A wry smile from the Indian quick.

A couple of deliveries later, Shami generated some extra bounce, with a rip-snorter flying past Warner’s gloves at chest height and soaring through to the wicketkeeper. Oohs and aahs echoed from the slips cordon as Shami threw his arms in the air.

In Shami’s following over, Warner pressed firmly down the ground when the bowler overpitched — there was a tone of relief in his bellows of “yeah, yeah, yeah” to teammate Marnus Labuschagne at the other end.

It wasn’t pretty, but Warner survived. Once the clouds parted and the pitch flattened, he was in complete control.

The New South Welshman pulled Shami elegantly through mid-wicket before targeting Umesh Yadav, who conceded 16 runs from his second over as Warner repeatedly dispatched the quick through point.

After the drinks break, Warner looked nothing like the vulnerable, tentative opening batter who was made to look amateurish by Stuart Broad four years ago.

Australia's David Warner. Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFPSource: AFP

“You can see from his body language that he was right into this match,” former Australian batter Matthew Hayden said on Channel 7.

“When the sun started flowing, so too did those runs.

“He was brilliant.”

Former Australian coach Justin Langer continued: “He played off the front foot and the back foot … that’s a sign David Warner’s in good form.”

Warner fell victim to Shardul Thakur moments before the lunch, gloving a pull shot down the leg side with Bharat claiming a superb low catch to his right. He forced a smile before begrudgingly returning to the sheds.

Despite not converting his start into a half-century or triple figures, Warner fulfilled his duty as the opening batter, surviving the most dangerous passage of play and setting a platform for Australia’s middle order.

For that reason, Warner’s Ashes audition can be considered a success.

‘BIG MISTAKE’: ASHWIN’S BAFFLING NON-SELECTION

There were plenty of shocks on the opening morning before a ball was even bowled at The Oval.

Rohit Sharma did what many captains do when they win the toss at the Kennington ground, and that is look to the heavens before deciding to bowl first under cloudy London skies.

With all the intrigue around the selection and makeup of both XIs, India made the stunning move to leave superstar spinner Ravichandran Ashwin out of the team for the World Test Championship final, surprising many.

Ashwin, the number one ranked Test bowler in the world, enjoyed a hugely successful series against Australia earlier in the year, claiming 25 wickets at 17.28 in their recent series win at home. The Indian XI looked considerably less intimidating without Ashwin.

The call became more confounding as the morning session wore on, with the cloud cover disappearing and the runs started to flow.

After a testing first hour which restricted Australia to just 1-29, David Warner and Labuschagne accelerated, targeting paceman Umesh Yadav and leaving Rohit searching for options.

Ravichandran Ashwin of India. Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images

Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting was as “surprised” as anyone with the decision to leave out Ashwin.

“I think India have fallen into a trap of picking a bowling attack for the first innings only,” Ponting said in commentary.

“The reason I was surprised that Ashwin was left out, with the amount of left handers the Australians have in their line-up. I think, there’s no doubt in my mind that Ashwin will bowl a lot better late in the games to the left handers than Jadeja would.

“I think the big decision they had to make was between (Shardul) Thakur and Umesh Yadav.

“Thakur (is) playing because he could be the workhorse type bowler that could give the two strike bowlers in Shami and Siraj a bit of a break.

“Use your spinner. Go to Jadeja for a couple of overs early in the game to try and tie down an end.”

Former Australian coach Justin Langer added at the lunch break: “Don’t be surprised if it becomes the talking point of the Test match.”

Ashwin’s Test bowling record vs Australia

Warner – 11 dismissals at 17.6

Khawaja – four dismissals at 24.8

Labuschagne – three dismissals at 63.3

Smith – eight dismissals at 54.2

Head – three dismissals at 41.7

Green – two dismissals at 38.0

Carey – five dismissals at 5.0

Former Australian opening batter Matthew Hayden believes India “overcomplicated” their selection by virtue of the game being abroad, explaining that in a must-win final, you’re better off picking the players that got you there.

”You think of the strength of India through this phase, it has to be through their spinners,” Hayden said.

“You play your best batters and bowlers and Ravi Ashwin is your best bowler you have the option of selection.

“I think that you have to keep it simple when it comes to selection. You can overcomplicate it especially when you are playing abroad. You are looking to alternatives to what you are comfortable with.

“That is why sitting in that Australian dressing-room, they would love the fact India have played to their strengths. Four fast bowlers. Australians are never worried about fast bowlers. They are used to playing those their entire lives since they were boys.

“As men, spin has always been that one question mark, wherever Australian cricket team has travelled or toured to, always been that question mark around how each and every one of them plays spin.”

KHAWAJA’S ACHILLES HEEL RETURNS

India’s done their homework.

Australia’s left-handed batters, most notably David Warner and Travis Head, have struggled against right-armed pace bowlers coming from around the wicket in England, particularly during the 2019 Ashes.

But that’s not the case for Usman Khawaja.

Unlike his teammates, Khawaja seemingly prefers facing right-armed seamers from around the wicket in England, averaging 62.00 at Test level. From over the wicket, that figure drops considerably to 16.16.

So after India won the toss and elected to bowl first at The Oval on Wednesday, Mohammed Siraj started his opening spell from over the wicket, bowling across the left-handed Khawaja.

And the Indian paceman only needed ten deliveries to strike.

Siraj’s wobble-seam delivery pitched on a good length and kissed the outside edge of Khawaja’s tentative forward press, carrying through to Srikar Bharat with the gloves.

The Queenslander departed for a duck, leaving Australia in early strife at 1-2 in the fourth over.

The dismissal continued a worrying trend for Khawaja, who averages 18.15 in Tests in England, reaching fifty just once in 13 knocks.

During the 2019 Ashes, Khawaja fell victim to right-armed pace in all six innings, caught behind by England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow in five consecutive knocks before edging to second slip on his sixth attempt. Four years later, early signs suggest he is still vulnerable against the swinging Dukes ball.

“England is, in my opinion, the toughest place in the world to bat for a top three batsman, plain and simple,” Khawaja told reporters last month.

“If you’re going to England, go with low expectations, and then just work on every game one at a time, because you are going to fail as a batsman.”

Usman Khawaja’s Test batting average by host nation

165.33 — Pakistan

76.33 — United Arab Emirates

69.66 — New Zealand

55.46 — Australia

47.57 — India

28.00 — Sri Lanka

24.20 — South Africa

18.15 — England

Australia's Usman Khawaja. Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFPSource: AFP