AUS Vs IND WTC 2023 Final: In the ongoing World Test Championship final between India and Australia, the Aussies are in the driver's seat and they are already ahead by a mammoth score.
The Aussie batters piled up 469 runs in their 1st innings and according to many fans and experts, that score is way too many on that kind of a pitch at Kennington Oval in London.
India’s reply with the bat wasn’t a good one, despite a decent start from the openers. Apart from Ajnkya Rahane’s 89 runs, Shardul Thakur’s 51 runs and Ravindra Jadeja‘s 48 runs, none of the other batters from the men in blue side could do a better job. The Indian innings was folded for just 296 runs in the 1st innings.
Even though India couldn’t get anywhere close to the Australian 1st innings score, but there were good performances which should lift the team up.
Now they should concentrate on how to get the remaining Australian batters out very quickly because India cannot afford the lead to climb. The batting will again be a challenge in the 2nd innings for the men in blue side.
Shardul Thakur batted really well in the 1st innings for India. Thakur and Rahane tried their best to steady the sinking ship.
These two batters shared a valuable partnership of 109 runs in a crunch situation. Lord Thakur also achieved a record while batting yesterday at the venue of Kennington Oval in London.
Shardul has batted at this venue earlier as well when India toured England in 2021 for a Test series. Thakur is an important player because he has immense talent with the bat and ball.
His inclusion in the team gives a batting depth which is required in the swinging and seaming conditions of England. On day 3 of the WTC Final, Thakur joined Sir Don Bradman and Allan Border to achieve a spectacular feat in Test cricket.
Shardul has scored three back-to-back-half centuries at Kennington Oval in London. His brilliant knock of 51 runs from 109 deliveries was the third fifty on the trot at this venue.
By doing so, Lord Thakur has joined Sir Don Bradman and Allan Border, who have achieved this feat earlier. India has to bat once more in this Ultimate Test match and Thakur should look to notch up his fourth consecutive fifty at this venue.
Thakur scored two back-to-back fifties at Kennington Oval in London when India toured England for a Test series which was drawn to 2 all.
Shardul scored 57 runs from just 36 balls, and 60 runs from 72 deliveries before he notched up his third back-to-back half-century yesterday at this venue.
Sir Don Bradman achieved this feat in 1930 and 1934. Allan Border got to the same feat in 1985 and 1989.