WTC Final: Potential Nominees For The WTC Final Player Of The Match Include Travis Head And Mohammed Siraj

Last Update on: June 11th, 2023 at 03:30 pm

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Travis Head and Mohammed Siraj both put in outstanding performances throughout the WTC match final, putting them in contention for Player of the Match. Head was an important player for Australia, scoring 163 runs in the first innings and laying a solid foundation for the team.

Mohammed Siraj, on the other hand, was crucial to India’s bowling assault, taking four wickets in the first innings and promptly eliminating several of Australia’s top batters. In addition, he showed excellent skill and dedication in his performances, making him a star performer for India.

We take a look at the cricketers vying for the prestigious Aramco Player of the Match award before The Ultimate Test’s penultimate day.

Travis Head:

Australia was in a vulnerable situation at 76/3 just seven balls into the second session of day one as India made early inroads.

Travis Head went towards the game head-on rather than staying within himself. Head took on Mohammed Shami with a guide around the cordon for four after leaving and defending his first two deliveries. He then raced to 30 in just 22 balls after hitting his first ball against Mohammed Siraj to the boundary. Head increased further in the third session, reaching three figures in 106 deliveries and finishing the day with 146*. Head contributed 14 more on day two, enabling Australia to score 469 in their opening innings.

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Steve Smith:

Steve Smith buckled down and played the ideal support position at the other end as he once more displayed the exceptional ability to hit copious runs on England shores while Head stole pun-filled headlines.

The 34-year-old had to manoeuvre through a challenging time before lunch and allowed Head the freedom to attack since he knew his own opportunity to assault the bowlers would arrive.

When that moment finally arrived, Smith put a bow on day one by hitting a boundary off the penultimate ball, albeit he could have had trouble sleeping knowing that he was still five runs shy of reaching his 31st Test century going into day two.

Also Read: WTC Final: “According To Me, It’s Not Out” – Harbhajan Singh On Shubman Gill’s Wicket

Mohammed Siraj:

Leaking 469 in the first innings may not appear impressive on the record, but Mohammed Siraj’s performance, taking four wickets and steaming in over the course of the better part of two days, allowed India to hold onto hope of victory.

On the first morning of play, Mohammed Siraj raised a number of issues, dismissing Usman Khawaja and frequently challenging Australia’s elite middle order, particularly No. 1 Test batsman Marnus Labuschagne.

Importantly, Mohammed Siraj bowled just as quickly in his periods late on day one and into day two, claiming Travis Head before another blitz and cleaning up the tail to finish with 4/108.

Ajinkya Rahane:

Ajinkya Rahane, 35, was unconcerned by the strain of being hurriedly included in India’s WTC Final team because up to this moment, he had nearly fulfilled all expectations at The Oval.

Rahane left the field at 50/3 with India still 419 runs behind the Australians and facing the prospect of a total under 200. This was a situation not too different from that of the opposing No. 5 Travis Head.

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Instead of capitulating under duress, Rahane launched his own counterattack, scoring 89 runs off 11 fours and a six. Rahane was only prevented from scoring a century by an incredible Cameron Green catch when India reached 261/7.