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Ajinkya Rahane missed his century but his 89-run knock was enough to stage India's comeback in World Test Championship (WTC) final. As Rahane led India's fightback, he was fighting through a finger injury and had bandage over his glove to prevent further damage to it. There was a time he needed medical attention but he battled through it and capitalized on Australia’s mistakes in the first session of Day 3. After the day’s play, Rahane gave an update on his finger injury that caused him discomfort during one of the best knocks by an Indian batter in an ICC tournament final.
“(It is) painful but quite manageable. Don't think it'll affect batting. Happy with the way I batted. (I) had a good today. We were looking to get 320-330 but overall we had a good day,” Rahane told the broadcasters.
India took four wickets on Day 3 as Australia were 123/4 with a 296-run lead at the end of Day 3. Rahane was satisfied with India's bowling display as he said, “Bowling wise we bowled well. Everyone chipped in.”
Rahane believes
While it will be an uphill task for Indian batters whether the target is 350 or more than 400, Rahane wants to be optimistic and wants to approach the game session by session. He also feels that there is enough in the wicket for seamers despite wear and tear.
“Australia (are) slightly ahead in the game. For us it's important to be in the moment, play session by session. First one hour will be crucial tomorrow. We know funny things can happen. Jadeja bowled really well, footmarks helped him against the left-hander. Still feel wicket will help seam bowlers,” the 35-year-old concluded.
Rahane’s thunderous return
Returning to the Test side after a big gap of over 18 months, Rahane showed application when India’s top four departed early. He shared a 109-run stand with Shardul Thakur to help India post 296. It is the joint second-highest partnership for India in an ICC tournament final. He also became the first Indian batter to score a half-century in WTC final having missed it last time by just one run.
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