Not for the first time on a big occasion, India erred with its team composition to let the advantage slip. On a day when the sun shone bright for the most part, India left out ace spinner R. Ashwin. The off-spinner watched from the sidelines even as The Oval pitch provided a tempting mix of uneven bounce.
A tenacious Australian batting line-up made the most of the miss, moving to a comfortable 327 for three at the end of the first day of the ICC World Test Championship final here on Wednesday.
Deflating the pressure
