Picture Credit: Twitter
Australia completely dominated Day 1 of the WTC 2023 final at the Kennington Oval with the help of a massive 251-run partnership for the fourth wicket between Travis Head and Steven Smith. Travis Head was the game-changer on Day 1 with a score of 146* from 156 balls, while Steven Smith showed his class by scoring an unbeaten 95 run-knock from 227 balls.
Initially, Indian bowlers did a good job of restricting the Australian side to 76/3 and dismissing Usman Khawaja for a duck, but they had no clue to break the strong partnership between Steven Smith and Travis Head, which meant Australia took the driver's seat at the end of Day 1.
Numbers and stats from AUS vs IND Day 1:
1 - Travis Head becomes the first batsman to score a century in WTC final game. This was also Travis Head's first Test hundred outside home.
4 - For the fourth time, India won the toss in an ICC final game. India won the toss in the 2003 WC Final, the 2007 T20 WC Final, the 2017 CT Final, and now in the 2023 WTC Final.
6 - Travis Head recorded his sixth century in Test cricket.
Most Centuries for AUS in WTC 2021-23 Cycle:
Usman Khawaja - 6
Marnus Labuschagne - 5
Travis Head - 4
Highest Strike Rate in WTC 2021-23 Cycle (Min. 400 runs):
Harry Brook - 92.13
Travis Head - 81.91
Rishabh Pant - 80.81
7 - Usman Khawaja recorded his seventh duck in Test cricket overall. Notably, Khawaja has recorded two ducks in the last three Test innings and both came against India.
95 - Steven Smith has scored another fifty-plus score (95*) in an ICC knockout game.
Steven Smith scores in ICC knockout games (ODI/Test):
65 vs PAK in WC 2015 (QF)
105 vs IND in WC 2015 (SF)
56* vs NZ in WC 2015 (F)
85 vs ENG in WC 2019 (SF)
95* vs IND in WTC 2023 (F) - Still batting
Steven Smith Test scores at Kennington Oval:
138* & 7 in 2013
143 in 2015
80 & 23 in 2019
95* in 2023
251 - Travis Head and Steven Smith have stitched a 251-run partnership for the fourth wicket.
Highest fourth-wicket partnership in Tests at Kennington, Oval:
Wally Hammond-Stan Worthington: 266 vs IND in 1936
Travis Head-Steven Smith: 251* vs IND in 2023
Don Bradman-Archie Jackson: 243 vs ENG in 1930
Highest fourth-wicket partnership for AUS in WTC'21-23 Cycle:
Travis Head-Marnus Labuschagne: 297 vs WI in Adelaide, 2022
Travis Head-Steven Smith: 251* vs IND in The Oval, 2023
Cameron Green-Usman Khawaja: 208 vs IND in Ahmedabad, 2023
1822 - Steven Smith scored 1822 Test runs on England soil overall.
Most Test runs on England soil by a visiting batsman:
Don Bradman - 2674
Allan Border - 2082
Viv Richards - 2057
Steven Smith - 1822
Gary Sobers - 1820