Smith, head decimate Indian attack

 Travis Head and Steve Smith have stitched together an unbeaten 251-run stand to put Australia in command at the end of Day 1. Australia closed the day at 327/3 with Smith not out on 95 and Head unbeaten on 146. India did start well with Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur striking in the first session. While Mohammad Shami dismissed Marnus Labuschagne after the lunch break, Head went on the counter-attack to devastate Indian bowling. To omit the highest-ranked bowler in Test cricket from the playing XI is a big call. India took this major decision on Wednesday in the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia by excluding off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin from the starting XI. It is not merely his ranking, but the fact that Ashwin is an all-wicket exponent and therefore potent even on pitches favouring faster bowlers. India selected a side virtually for the first session of the match. The weather forecast was sunshine for the greater part of the game. Indeed, the second hour of the opening morning was sunny; and easier for batting than at the start of the Australian innings Australia were in a spot of bother when Steve Smith and Travis Head came together. At stumps, the two had added an unbroken 251 for the fourth wicket against a tiring Indian bowling attack. It was a real test for Rohit Sharma’s men but at least on the opening day, they failed to come out on top as Head and Smith played contrasting innings to put their team in total control. The Australians endured a tough first hour but they battled back first through David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne before an epic partnership between Head and Smith frustrated India. Travis Head was outstanding. His omission from the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy had created a controversy in Australia but in the final of the Test championship, he showed why he is such a dangerous batter. After an aggressive start, Head settled down to play one of the greatest Test knocks against India in recent years and became the firs