WTC Final: No intensity in Team India without Virat Kohli at helm – Bollywood actor rues players passivity

Team India went into the game with four pacers i.e. Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav and Shardul Thakur in the big encounter and sole spinner in Ravindra Jadeja, which seemed to have backfired.

The overcast conditions and a slightly greenish pitch in London propelled captain Rohit Sharma to go with four seamers. However, the sun started shining bright in the morning session and the pitch looked conducive for batting.

Australian batters started scoring runs at ease once the sun was out and Indian bowlers looked clueless as the match progressed and partnerships strengthened. Team India started missing premier off-spinner R Ashwin in the playing eleven as the captain omitted the number one-ranked Test bowler.

Watching Team India’s struggle against the Aussies, fans started questioning team selection in the game and some even questioned skipper Rohit Sharma’s captaincy. They started comparing Rohit with Virat Kohli – who is the most successful Indian Test captain.

Bollywood actor Harsh Varrdhan Kapoor took to his Twitter handle and expressed his feelings about Team India’s performance on day one. The actor also lamented the fact that Virat Kohli, who is no longer the captain of the Indian cricket team, and Jasprit Bumrah’s absence hurt the team.

“Terrible tragedy that @imVkohli isn’t test captain anymore there is no intensity/hunger without him at the helm the players are passive and just going through the motions under Rohit .. poor team selection also Ashwin had to play + Bumrah out through injury is a huge blow,” he tweeted.

Travis Head slammed a quickfire century off just 106 deliveries to become the first player to score a hundred in a WTC final. The left-handed top-order batter from Australia remained unbeaten at 146 while batting mainstay Steve Smith was unbeaten on 95* at the close of play.

The duo shared an unbroken stand of 251 runs for the fourth wicket to put Australia in the driver’s seat in the big match. Australia, thus, reached 327 for 3 at stumps on the opening day. Australia added 157 runs in the final session which had 34 overs without losing any wickets.

Earlier, Australia, who were invited to bat, had added 97 runs in the post-lunch session in 28 overs for the loss of one wicket. They were 73 for 2 at lunch after opener David Warner made 43 off 60 balls.

Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur took a wicket each on the day. Brief Scores: Australia 1st Innings: 327 for 3 in 85 overs (David Warner 43, Travis Head 146 batting, Steve Smith 95 batting; Mohammed Siraj 1/67, Shardul Thakur 1/75, Mohammed Shami 1/77).