"The match was 70% decided there" - Harbhajan Singh on first innings difference between India and Australia in WTC final

Harbhajan Singh reckons the result of the World Test Championship (WTC) final was virtually decided when Australia gained a massive lead in the first innings.

Pat Cummins and Co. completed a 209-run annihilation of India at The Oval on Sunday (June 11) to win their maiden WTC title. They posted a mammoth first-innings total of 469 and never let Rohit Sharma and Co. come back in the game.

While reviewing the game on Star Sports, Harbhajan was asked whether the first innings was the differentiator between the two sides. He replied affirmatively:

"I feel the match was 70% decided there. 469 runs in the first innings were too much on this pitch, which was slightly up and down on the first three days. There the Indian batters had to face difficulties, especially in the first innings."

The cricketer-turned-commentator pointed out that the Indian bowlers were found wanting on the first day of the final:

"Our bowling was seen slightly weak, especially on the first day. The performance was slightly better on the second day, even in bowling, but it was too late by then. First day - I feel, to a large extent, India had lost the match there."

India reduced Australia to 76-3 early in the second session on Day 1 after asking them to bat first on a green top. However, they failed to pick up another wicket on the day and conceded 157 runs in the final session to cede the advantage to Australia.

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"Intent or plan to get batters to play the drive was missing" - Harbhajan Singh on where Indian bowlers went wrong

Travis Head took the Indian bowlers to the cleaners.

Harbhajan Singh was also asked whether the Indian bowlers weren't fully prepared or if they got overexcited seeing the conditions, to which he responded:

"There is no doubt that the wicket was extremely green. You won a good toss as well. You wanted to bowl, and you got that as well. The intent or the plan to get the batters to play the drive was missing. They didn't make the batters drive in such conditions."

The former India spinner highlighted that the Australian bowlers demonstrated the length to be bowled in seamer-friendly conditions:

"When Australian bowlers came to bowl, they bowled on a slightly dry surface, but they got the batters out bowled, lbw, caught at slip - you get those dismissals into the game when you bring the drive into play."

Harbhajan concluded by saying that the Indian bowlers' execution was poor if the planning was done.

He pointed out that while the seamers allowed David Warner to score most of his runs with the cut shot, they didn't bowl bouncers against Travis Head till he had reached the nineties.