As Travis Head jogged down the wicket to complete his 100th run, Steve Smith raised a gloved hand for a congratulatory high-five. It was just about the only thing Head failed to make clean contact with all day, flicking mainly fingers as the batters crossed. Some of the fielders might have been tempted to flick a few fingers in his direction as well, Head having arrived at the crease with India dominant before powerfully, remorselessly, turning the flow of the game in Australia’s favour and hauling them to 327 for three at the close.
A few hours earlier India had won the toss – greeted by a partisan crowd as if the Beatles had just walked on stage at Shea Stadium – and chosen to suffer. At that point it was cold and cloudy, and they had perhaps noticed that on both occasions Surrey won the toss at the Oval in the County Championship this year they had elected to field. For as long as those conditions lasted they could expect to prosper, but in the end they had only an hour.
