NEW DELHI: Paceman Shardul Thakur rose to the occasion and bailed out India with a rearguard 109-run stand with Ajinkya Rahane against Australia on the third day of the World Test Championship (WTC) final at The Oval in London on Friday.
In the process, Shardul (51 off 109) was able to get to his third successive half-century as he became the third visiting batter with the most consecutive 50-plus scores at The Oval in Test format, equalling legendary Australian batters Don Bradman and Allan Border's record.
Despite the valiant efforts of Rahane and Shardul, who forged a crucial century partnership, Australia maintained their dominance and secured a substantial 173-run lead.
Starting the afternoon session at 260 for six, India could only add 36 runs to their total, ultimately being bowled out for 296 in 69.4 overs. Rahane's impressive innings of 89 off 129 balls was a standout performance.
Despite Rahane and Shardul’s effort, India still found themselves trailing in the game. Rahane displayed resilience while Shardul bravely fought on despite enduring two painful blows on his forearm.
