'Siraj and Shami had to bowl their second spells in first session' - Ravi Shastri highlights India's strategic error in WTC final

Former India cricketer Ravi Shastri criticised India for overutilizing Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami in the opening session of the World Test Championship (WTC) final. On Day 1. Notably, Australia amassed 327/3 by the end of the first day of the WTC final at The Oval.

Siraj and Shami both bagged a wicket and bowled six overs with the new ball, however, Umesh Yadav and Shardul Thakur lacked rhythm and let off the pressure created initially. The momentum shifted when David Warner hammered Umesh for four fours in his second over. Evaluating the day's play, Shastri said that Siraj and Shami were not used correctly by India.

"Once you had picked the team, it's fine - Ashwin played or not and that you fielded. But you could have been tactically much sounder after that. Siraj and Shami had to bowl their second spells in the first session. They gave too long spells to Shami and Siraj at the start. You know they have not played first-class cricket for three or four months and it will be difficult to bowl the entire day. The thinking should have been that this pitch will improve once the sun comes out, so they should have been preserved and used at the right time," Shastri told Star Sports.

Siraj and Shami should have done 70% of the bowling in the first session: Ravi Shastri

Shastri further added that the majority of the opening session's overs should have been bowled by the two strike bowlers.

"So, in my opinion, a short first spell and all four fast bowlers should have been used in the first two hours of play. Siraj and Shami should have done 70% of the bowling in the first session" he said.

Meanwhile, the 251-run fourth-wicket stand between Head (146*) and Smith (95*) is still intact and the Indian bowlers will need to break the partnership at the earliest on Day 2 if they want to make a comeback in the game.