Ashish Ranjan
Ricky Ponting and Murali Karthik were astounded by Shardul Thakur’s unusual precaution after receiving repeated blows to his right arm during the World Test Championship 2023 final against Australia at The Oval in London. During the second innings, Ajinkya Rahane, Srikar Bharat, and Thakur endured enormous body blows at the hands of the ferocious Australian pacers. Similarly, opponent captain Pat Cummins maintained his razor-sharp line and length, striking Thakur’s right bicep with a few of his short-pitched deliveries.
After receiving repeated blows, Thakur, who appeared to be in agony, decided to take precautions by wearing a front arm guard over the affected area. However, much to the amusement of Ponting and Karthik, who were present on the commentary panel, Thakur wore the arm-guard on the wrong limb.
Ponting stated on air, “I’ve never seen anything like it,” to which Karthik replied, “Neither have I.”India’s comeback is led by Ajinkya Rahane and Shardul Thakur’s crucial half-centuries.
Scott Boland dismissed Srikar Bharat for a pitiful five runs off 15 deliveries in the opening over of Day 3 of the match, giving the Australians an early advantage. Despite the early loss of a wicket, Ajinkya Rahane and Shardul Thakur fought valiantly against the Australians and raised an outstanding 109-run partnership to reduce the deficit.
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Rahane’s magnificent innings concluded after he scored 89 runs off 129 deliveries, which included 11 fours and a single six. During his 109-ball 59-run innings, during which he hit six boundaries, Thakur maintained his composure as well. Impressively, Thakur scored three consecutive fifty-plus scores as a visiting batsman at the Oval, tying for the record for the most by a visitor. This meant he joined an elite list of Australian greats that included Sir Donald Bradman and, accordingly, Allan Border.
Team India ultimately concluded the second innings with 296 runs and trailed by 177 runs. In their pursuit of the coveted mace, the Australians will be eager to amass a large score and make life difficult for the Indian team.
