WTC Final Day 4 Highlights: Kohli key; India 164/3, need 280 more to win

India vs Australia, World Test Championship Final, Day 4 Highlights: Australia declared at 270/8, India are 164/3. P'ship between Kohli and Rahane is 71*. On last day, India need 280, Aussie 7 wkts

11:16 PM

WTC Final 2023 Live Blog: This is where the game ended on Day 4

11:15 PM

WTC Final 2023: Summary of the moving Day 4

 

Virat Kohli tried and got a four even in the last over of the Day where Nathan Lyon was bowling. It showed the positive attitude with which  India have come out in the fourth innings. They needed 444 runs to win the World Test Championship Final in nearly 130 overs. They have so far scored 164 in 40 overs at more than four runs per over. 

 

They have lost only three wickets and hence the target of 280 more needed looks all the more achievable. It would be a record chase as the highest successful chase in Test history is 418 by West Indies against Australia, achieved in 2003. The highest successful chase in this decade is 395, once again by West Indies against Bangladesh in 2021. 

 

Australia started the day on the overnight score of 123/4 but lost Marnus Labuschagne very early. Cameron Green and Alex Carey added 43 for the sixth wicket before Carey went on to add 93 with Mitchell Starc for the seventh wicket. Australia crossed the 250 mark in their second innings and the lead crossed the 400-run mark as well. They declared at 270/8, giving India 130 overs to chase down 444. 

 

India came out with positive internet. Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma added 41 for the first wicket before the former was controversially adjudged catch out in the slips by Cameron Green off Scott Boland. Rohit and Pujara then added 51. But two got out in an interval of just one run and five balls. Kohli and Rahane were new at the crease but played the way they were expected to. India finished the day on 164/3

 

10:54 PM

Stumps, India would be the happier team heading back to the dressing room

 

It is stumps on Day 4 and much like Day 3, India would be the happier team going back to the dressing room. They are 164/3 and need 280 more runs to win with Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane fully set at the crease. The duo have added 71 runs together and haven’t given any chance to the Aussies.

 

10:32 PM

Virat Kohli is in sublime touch

 

Even while playing in the last over, Kohli hit Lyon for a four off the very first ball, showing that he means business. He has moved to 44 off just 57 balls and is showing a great attitude, much like playing an ODI game and chasing 444 to win. 

 

10:30 PM

150 upo for India, one over to negotiate

 

The Indian team has gone past 150 and they need to negotiate only one more over to end the day. Nathan Lyon will bowl that one

 

10:05 PM

Half an hour more for Indian batters to negotiate

 

The Indian duo of Virat Kohli and Rahane need to be cautious as the last half an hour of the day’s play is underway. India are 140/3 and 13 overs remain in the day to be bowled. 

 

9:58 PM

Kohli, Rahane continue with the attacking approach

 

The attacking approach from India has continued even after the fall of Rohit Sharma’s wicket. The duo of Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane have added 39 off just 66 balls. They are not shying away from playing their shots, but at the same time, are not giving any chances to the Aussie bowlers.

 

9:52 PM

Summary of the second session: Australia on top again

 

In the second session too Australia dominated as they scored 69 runs and then took the all-important wicket of Shubman Gill while India scored 41 runs. In total, the session had 110 runs and five wickets in it. India needed 403 to win with nine wickets in their hand.

 

9:42 PM

Most positive intent by Pujara so far

 

Pujara looked to attack as he followed the team’s instructions of chasing the target down. He had scored 27 off just 46 balls before getting out. Till the time he and Rohit were at the crease, it was great going for India. 

 

9:40 PM

100 up for India, 20 overs still to be bowled

 

The Indian team has brought up 100 with three wickets down and two of its best batters- Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane are at the crease and about 20 overs are yet to be bowled.

 

9:37 PM

Two strokes of madness in this game

 

The first stroke of Madness was Steve Smith going for that shot against a short ball from Jadeja where he stepped out and still slogged it. The second was Pujara trying to play an uppercut against the pace of Pat Cummins.

 

9:31 PM

Pujara played uppercut, a shot he wouldn’t have tried all his life in Tests while batting at 27

9:28 PM

Lyon broke the 51-run stand between Rohit and Pujara

9:25 PM

Pujara and Rohit tried providing platform for the chase

9:24 PM

India come out attacking all guns post Tea

7:42 PM

Gill given out after being caught by Green controversially. Tea taken

 

Tea has been taken with the fall of Shubman Gill’s wicket. He edged the ball going outside off and Cameron Green in the second slip caught it, but the on-field umpires referred it to third-umpire. The third-umpire felt that the ball was underneath Green’s fingers, but commentators and audiences’ view was definitely against it. 

 

7:25 PM

Rohit and Gill start well, 28/0 in first 6

7:22 PM

Harsha Bhogle and Peter Dury: Not related to this game, but a delight for fans

7:05 PM

A summary of the game so far

 

Australia have declared at 270/8 with a total lead of 443. The target is now 444 for India to score in approximately 130 overs and win the match. In today's game, 47 overs remain. Taking the losses due to innings break and wicket fall into consideration, at least 40 would be bowled. 

 

The first session on Day 4 belonged to Australia as the team added 78 runs in 26 overs and lost only two wickets- Marnus Labuschagne and Cameron Green. 

 

While Marnus was picked by Umesh Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja got Green on a ball that pitched outside leg and went on to hit the off stump by ricocheting off the batter’s pads, which were out wide for paddling the ball. 

 

Alex Carey was the man for the crisis. He scored 66* and added a crucial 93 for the seventh wicket with Mitchell Stac, having added 43 with Green for the sixth.

 

6:49 PM

Australia declare with Cummins’ wicket, 444 the target for India

 

Pat Cummins was looking to hit a six and take the target past 450, however, he has been caught by substitute Axar Patel off the bowling of Mohammed Shami who now has his third wicket. Just after the fall of the wicket, Australia have declared and set a target of 444 for the Indian team. 

 

6:45 PM

IND vs AUS Day 4 Live Updates, WTC Final: The longer they take to declare, the higher the chances of draw

6:43 PM

But why are they not declaring?

6:36 PM

Mitchell Starc gone, Australian lead increases

 

The Australian lead has increased up to 433 even as Mohammed Shami has gotten rid of Mitchell Starc for 41 and Pat Cummins has come out to bat. 

 

6:21 PM

The partnership that has taken the game away from India

 

The partnership between Alex Carey and Mitchell Starc is now 74 runs strong and it has taken the game away from India. The duo has been unbelievable on Day 4 and have stretched the Australian lead past 400. At the moment, Australia lead by 415 runs with 53 overs remaining in the day.

 

6:18 PM

Ravindra Jadeja is now the leading wicket-taker as a left-arm spinner for India

6:17 PM

This was Australia at Lunch on Day 4

6:16 PM

India vs Australia Live Score: Fifty up for Carey

5:36 PM

WTC Final Live: Summary of the first session

 

The first session on Day 4 belonged to Australia as the team added 78 runs in 26 overs and lost only two wickets- Marnus Labuschagne and Cameron Green. 

 

While Marnus was picked by Umesh Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja got Green on a ball that pitched outside leg and went on to hit the off stump by ricocheting off the batter’s pads, which were out wide for paddling the ball. 

 

Alex Carey has been the man for the crisis as far as Australia are concerned. He is batting on 41 off just 61 balls and has already added 34* with Mitchell Stac for the seventh wicket, after having added 43 with Green for the sixth. 

 

5:21 PM

It’s Lunch at the Oval on Day 4 and Australia are ahead

 

Lunch has been called as the umpires put the zinger bells apart on the stumps. Australia will be the happier team heading to the dressing room because they might have lost Green and Labuschagne, but have been able to add 78 runs to the total. 

 

5:18 PM

200 up for the Aussies, pressure mounts on India

 

The Australian team has now gone past the 200-run mark and the lead has also increased to 374 now. The pressure on India now starts to mount as the Aussies near their desired total of 250 and the lead is about to touch the 400-run mark.