[Watch] Mohammad Shami cleans up Marnus Labuschagne with a ripper post Lunch in WTC final 2023
Mohammad Shami struck off the first ball he sent down post Lunch on Day 1 to put India in front in the WTC final against Australia at The Oval in London as he breached Marnus Labuschagne's defense.
The Indian pace spearhead was guilty of bowling a touch too short in the first session, especially with the ball swinging and seaming around. After Mohammed Siraj resumed post Lunch, Shami took the ball from the other end and castled Labuschagne with a gem of a delivery that nipped back in late from outside the line of the off stump.
The Australian batting lynchpin was guilty of pushing at it without moving his feet, and the next thing he knew, the bails were dislodged. He was dismissed for 26, putting his team in a slight spot of bother.
Here's a watch on that beauty of a delivery sent down by Shami:
Australia lose Labuschagne after a solid first session in WTC final
Having lost the toss and being inserted to bat in the WTC final on a green deck and under overcast skies, Australia lost Usman Khawaja early with Siraj getting him to nick behind for a duck. David Warner and Labuschagne then dug deep to give due respect to the good deliveries and wait for their opportunities.
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An absolute ripper by Mohammad Shami to get rid of the No.1 Test batter in the world 🔥🤩
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The ball seamed around considerably, while there was also a bit of uneven bounce. Once Umesh Yadav was introduced, he dished out too many freebies, which Warner pounced on to power the Aussies along. Shardul Thakur eventually strangled him down the leg-side for 43, although India would have wanted more wickets by then with the sun coming out.
With Shami nipping Labuschagne out right after Lunch, Rohit Sharma and Co. will be hoping to make further inroads into the Aussie batting lineup. Travis Head has joined Smith in the middle.
At the time of writing, Australia are placed at 104/3 in 30 overs, with the former racing off the blocks and batting on 19 off 13 deliveries.
Can India make further inroads and make life difficult for Australia in the WTC final? Have your say in the comments section below!