Picture Credit: Twitter
In the morning session on day 3 of the World Test Championship (WTC) Final 2023, Ajinkya Rahane and Shardul Thakur staged a fightback for Team India by completing a 100-run stand for the seventh wicket. With the help of this much-needed partnership, the Indian cricket team managed to avoid the follow-on against a rampaging Australia, before getting bowled out 296.
The two Mumbai-based cricketers got together at the fall of KS Bharat’s wicket in the first over of the morning session on day 3. At that exact point, Ajinkya Rahane was 30, while Team India’s score was 152/6. Shardul Thakur started his innings cautiously, looking content on defence, while his batting partner took the attack to the Aussie fast bowlers.
As their partnership grew, both the Indian batters found it relatively easier to rotate strike as the field was spread out by the Australian captain Pat Cummins. Then, the boundaries came at a regular rate during the second hour of the morning session. Rahane and Thakur continued on their merry way and eventually, they brought up the hundred run partnership before going into lunch unbeaten.
Shortly after they accomplished the milestone moment, Twitter went into a feeding frenzy and started thanking both Ajinkya Rahane and Shardul Thakur for their brilliant batting display to give India half a chance to make a match of WTC Final 2023.
Check the tweets here:
Before getting out in the second over of the second session on day 3, Ajinkya Rahane got 89 runs off 129 deliveries with 11 fours and one maximum. Meanwhile, Shardul Thakur, who was the ninth wicket to fall for the Indians, scored 51 runs off 109 deliveries with six fours to bring India’s score within 173 runs off the Australian first innings total.