Rohit Sharma is looking to win his first International Cricket Council (ICC) title as captain of the Indian team as he leads the side against Australia in the World Test Championship (WTC) final starting on Wednesday. Rohit had won the toss and chosen to bowl first and it has been an even contest for much of the first two sessions on Day 1 at The Oval.
Eagle-eyed observers on social media captured a moment while Rohit Sharma was walking out in his team India blazer for the toss. Rohit was making his way down the steps en route to the ground at the Oval when he seemed to stumble slightly. Incidentally, the stumble happened just as he was passing a fan who was holding up a poster that said, “Virat you will always be my captain”.
This is the second time India have reached the WTC final. It was Virat Kohli who led the team the last time around at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton and they ended up losing by eight wickets to New Zealand. Kohli was India's Test captain for eight years between 2014 and 2022. Rohit took over the reins after Kohli stepped down from the position post India's 2-1 series loss in South Africa early last year. Since then, however, this is only Rohit's eighth Test, with injuries limiting his participation.
{{/usCountry}}This is the second time India have reached the WTC final. It was Virat Kohli who led the team the last time around at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton and they ended up losing by eight wickets to New Zealand. Kohli was India's Test captain for eight years between 2014 and 2022. Rohit took over the reins after Kohli stepped down from the position post India's 2-1 series loss in South Africa early last year. Since then, however, this is only Rohit's eighth Test, with injuries limiting his participation.
{{/usCountry}}India chose to leave out world's top-ranked Test bowler Ravichandran Ashwin, opting to include Ravindra Jadeja as their only spinner. Australia survived a stressful first hour from India's prime quicks to reach lunch at 73-2 on the first day of the World Test Championship final at the Oval on Wednesday. A battered Marnus Labuschagne rode his luck to be 26 at the first interval with Steve Smith the new batter. Labuschagne did not survive too long in the second session, however, falling to Mohammed Shami off the first ball of the second over of the session.