WATCH: KS Bharat's stunning diving catch removes David Warner in WTC final 2023

KS Bharat (Source: Twitter)

India and Australia are currently clashing in the World Test Championship (WTC) Final 2023 at The Oval in London. Australia were 73-2 when the players left for lunch on Day 1 after Indian Skipper Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to bat first. Australia was the little happier team going into the break, but a wicket of Marnus Labuschagne just after lunch put India in the driver's seat.

Mohammad Siraj drew first blood by dismissing Usman Khawaja for a 10-ball duck. Khawaja could have left the slightly outside off delivery, but he pushed at it and nicked off for a simple catch by wicketkeeper KS Bharat. David Warner and Labuschagne played out the new ball well and put a 60+ partnership for the second wicket. Warner took charge of the scoring and even got some loose balls from Umesh Yadav, but a stunner from Bharat sent the left-hander back to the pavilion.

Warner's attacking game allowed Labuschagne to settle in the middle. He hit Shardul Thakur for a boundary in the second ball of the 22nd over, but the medium pacer got his man with a delivery to the leg side in the fourth ball of the over. The ball brushed off Warner's glove and Bharat, who is playing his first match in England, put in a tough dive to complete a spectacular catch.

Watch the video below: 

What a catch by KS Bharat. 😯 #INDvsAUS #CricketTwitter #TestCricket #AUSvsIND pic.twitter.com/cNmyU9ue23

— Tushar Gurjar (@Tushaargurjar) June 7, 2023

India drops R Ashwin from WTC final

Bharat was included in the WTC squad as a replacement for Rishabh Pant. He was picked in the starting XI in place of Ishan Kishan who came in for the injured KL Rahul. Bharath, who was part of India in the Border Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, has played 5 Test matches and scored over 100 runs.

Earlier India made a shocking decision for the summit clash, leaving out World No. 1 Test spinner Ravichandran Ashwin from the playing XI. Rohit said it was a tough decision to drop a match-winner like Ashwin, but given the team’s need for an extra batter, he chose Ravindra Jadeja.