WTC Final between India and Australia: Indian Bowlers correct their strategy as Australia extends the lead to 196 at tea on Day 3

At the Kennington Oval in London on Day 3 of the WTC final versus Australia, India would have been in a good position with two well-positioned hitters in the middle in Ajinkya Rahane and Shardul Thakur after scoring 109 runs in the morning session. The focus of India’s second session was on how much of their 209-run deficit the pair and tail could erase.

Australia’s morning session was the first of the game in which they let up, forcing them to make up ground in the second session. And they did strike back with to a spectacular catch by Cameron Green in the gully that got Rahane for 89 out. Two overs into the second session, a magnificent innings played under difficult circumstances came to an abrupt end.

Rahane had three chances to recover, but this time Cummins finally had him as Rahane could only muster a thickish outside edge while attempting a moving backfoot punch. Australia had gotten back into the game, and it seemed like India’s resistance in the morning session would hold.

However, Thakur persisted and helped Mohammad Shami bring India’s total closer to 300. With his third fifty at the Oval, he joined Sir Don Bradman as the only other batsman to have three straight fifties plus scores at the Oval (From Don to Lord).

The tail lifted India from 261/7 to 294, cutting the margin to 175—still a significant one—but India could take solace from the fact that they had fought back from 142/5 to 294. Definitely a respectable attempt. And it was time for the Indian bowlers to reverse their course in the second innings and capitalize on the little impetus Thakur and Rahane had provided.

Shami and Siraj, to their credit, mostly reproduced their first spell from the innings, bowled a probing line and length, and kept David Warner and Usman Khawaja quiet. Similar to the previous innings, Siraj supplied an early wicket with the thick outside edge of Warner (1) taken by the wobbling seam that drifted away after pitching, and Bharat complied behind the stumps.

Marnus Labuschagne was dozing off on the dressing room balcony when he had to go inside and was met by a vicious one that abruptly crept up and struck Labuschagne square in the left glove.

Siraj and Shami unleashed a barrage of vicious insults with India’s fanatical audience solidly backing them. Siraj and Shami had given up only 16 runs in eight overs with just two fours by the time Rohit Sharma introduced Thakur as the first change bowler. a strong beginning for India.

Khawaja (13*) and Labuschagne (8*) were in for a challenging phase since the surface still had some bite and the new duke ball was still bouncing about, but they fought valiantly to increase Australia’s advantage to 196, taking tea at 23 for 1.

Brief Scores: India 294 all out (Ajinkya Rahane 89, Shardul Thakur 51*; Pat Cummins 3/83) lead Australia 23/1 (Usman Khawaja 13; Mohammad Siraj 1/14) & Australia 469 (Travis Head 163, Steve Smith 121; Mohammad Siraj 4/108) by 196 runs.