India and Australia once again faced off in the final match of the World Test Championship on June 10. On the third day of the Test, India was dismissed for a total of 296 runs, while Australia ended the day at 123 runs for the loss of 4 wickets.
In the batting department, Ajinkya Rahane and Shardul Thakur showcased their skills for India. Rahane came close to achieving a well-deserved century, falling just 11 runs short, while Thakur scored his third century at The Oval. Despite the deteriorating pitch, the Indian duo displayed resilience, even enduring hits to their bodies to keep their team in the game.
Australia currently holds a lead of 296 runs with six wickets remaining. India will aim to bowl out the Australian team for less than 400 runs in the second innings and hope that their own batting can withstand the pressure of the swinging conditions at The Oval.
It is important to note that India also reached the WTC final in the previous cycle but lost to New Zealand in the semifinal. On the other hand, this is Australia’s first appearance in the WTC final, and they are determined to secure their first-ever WTC trophy.
In pursuit of a victory target of 444 runs against Australia, India finished the fourth day of the World Test Championship Final 2023 at 164 for 3 in 40 overs, still requiring 280 runs to claim the trophy. At the close of play on June 10 at The Oval, Virat Kohli remained unbeaten on 44 runs off 60 balls, while Ajinkya Rahane contributed 20 runs off 59 balls. Rohit Sharma scored 43 runs off 60 balls, Shubman Gill made 18 runs off 19 balls, and Cheteshwar Pujara scored 27 runs off 47 balls before being dismissed. Australia declared their second innings at 270 for 8. Pat Cummins, Scott Boland, and Nathan Lyon each took one wicket in India’s second innings.
On Day 4, Australia resumed their innings at 123 for 4 but lost Marnus Labuschagne without adding any runs to their total. However, Alex Carey scored 66 runs off 105 balls, and Mitchell Starc contributed 41 runs off 57 balls, forming a partnership of 93 runs for the seventh wicket. Australia concluded their innings at 270 for 8. Ravindra Jadeja took three wickets for India, while Mohammad Shami and Umesh Yadav took two wickets each. Mohammed Siraj claimed one wicket.
