Former BCCI president Sourav Ganguly have issued a message for India's top-order batter to deliver in the crunch situation as Australia are heading towards a big target in the World Test Championship (WTC) final at the Oval.
If Australia manage to post a big target on board in their second innings, it will be a task cut out for India's top-order batting line-up to chase it down. In reply to Australia's first innings' total of 469, the likes of Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara failed miserably in India's first innings as none of them could cross the 15-run mark which scripted team's misery.
India's top-order fiasco
Rohit (15), Kohli (14), Gill (13), Pujara (14) perished under pressure in India's first innings which put the team in a state of bother. Ravindra Jadeja did show some resistance but was dismissed at the score of 48. It was Ajinkya Rahane and Shardul Thakur who staged India's fightback when the chips were down.
Rahane-Shardul's rescuing act
India were reeling at 152/6 on Day 3 after their top-order collapsed like a house of cards but Rahane combined with Shardul to rescue India from a precarious position. The dazzling duo weaved a crucial 109-run partnership to help India post a respectable total of 296 in reply to Australia's 469.
While salvaging India's pride Rahane struck a spellbinding 89 off 129 balls riding on 11 fours and a six and Shardul played an impressive knock of 51 off 109 which was decorated with six boundaries. Ajinkya Rahane (29 off 71; not out) is the only experinced batter who is intact on the crease along with Srikar Bharat (5 off 14; not out) to keep India's hopes alive going into Day 3.
Australia lead the way
Later, with a 173-run lead in the kitty, Australian openers came out to bat but India needed early breakthroughs. Mohammed Siraj drew first blood to get rid of the dangerous David Warner on the third ball of fourth over. Warner scored just a single. The next man to return to pavilion was Usman Khawaja (13) who fell in Umesh Yadav's trap and edged the ball which travelled straight to Srikar Bharat's gloves. Ravindra Jadeja didn't let Australian batters heave a sigh in relief, not even for a moment, and dismissed the first innings' centurions Steve Smith (34) and Travis Head (18). At the close of Day 3's play, Australia's scoreboard read 123/4 with a 296-run lead. Labuschagne remained unbeaten for 41 off 118 balls whereas Green scored seven runs.
It won't be an easy task for Indian batters to chase anything above 300.
Ganguly's special message for India's top-order
Former India skipper Ganguly, while praising Shardul and Rahane said that they showed it to the dressing room how to bat on the surface.
"They showed it to the dressing room that if you apply and have a little bit of luck then you will be able to score runs on this wicket. Credit to Rahane, he was magnificent. Shardul got battered and bruised early on but he hung in there. He has batted well in the past in England and Australia. It's a good fightback from India. This is a message to the top order," Ganguly said on Star Sports.
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