The Indian cricket team found themselves in a precarious position as their renowned top-order faltered against Australia’s formidable pace attack, in the World Test Championship (WTC) final held in London on Thursday. This poor showing has put Australia firmly in control of the match.
With the daunting task of chasing Australia’s massive first innings total of 469 runs, India, with five wickets down, is currently grappling to regain momentum on the second day of play.
Australia looks determined to secure the title of Test champions, as each passing day favors their dominant performance.
The Indian batsmen have failed to complement the commendable efforts of their bowlers, sinking deeper into a troubling situation.
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India’s troubles began early on when Pat Cummins dismissed Rohit Sharma, followed by Shubman Gill falling victim to Scott Boland. Cheteshwar Pujara was cleaned up by Cameron Green, and Mitchell Starc dismissed Virat Kohli. Ravindra Jadeja was outsmarted by Nathan Lyon.
Although Ajinkya Rahane and Ravindra Jadeja managed a brief recovery, Nathan Lyon claimed Jadeja’s wicket for 48 runs just before the close of play. India limped to a score of 151-5, still trailing by a massive 318 runs from Australia’s first innings total.
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India’s batting lineup suffered a setback as they slumped to 71-4, courtesy of poor leaves from Shubman Gill and Cheteshwar Pujara, along with some exceptional moments of brilliance from the Australian seamers. Mitchell Starc’s delivery to dismiss Virat Kohli was particularly noteworthy.
This challenging situation places India at a significant disadvantage, while Australia remains in a position of strength. The outcome of the WTC Final hangs in the balance as India faces an uphill battle to salvage their chances of victory.
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