IND vs AUS WTC Final: Kohli-Rahane push India to 164/3 at stumps, need 280 more on Day 5

Ajinkya Rahane and Virat Kohli displayed a masterful performance, stitching together a crucial 71-run partnership to keep India's hopes alive in the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia. Their efforts proved fruitful as India reached a respectable score of 164/3 at stumps, leaving them with a daunting task of needing 280 more runs to secure victory.

Earlier, Rohit Sharma set the tone for India's improbable 444-run chase with a blistering start, receiving support from Shubman Gill and Cheteshwar Pujara. The opening partnership between Rohit and Gill brought in 41 runs off just 44 balls, followed by a solid 51-run partnership between Rohit and Pujara. However, India's progress was halted when both batters were dismissed within minutes of each other.

Kohli and Rahane then stepped up mending the damage done by the double blow. Despite their valiant efforts, India still has a long way to go to secure victory.

That's Stumps on Day 4 of #WTC23 Final!

We have an action-packed Day 5 in store tomorrow! #TeamIndia reach 164/3 and need 280 more runs to win, with @imVkohli & @ajinkyarahane88 at the crease 

Scorecard  https://t.co/0nYl21oYkY pic.twitter.com/0frfkWrEp0

— BCCI (@BCCI) June 10, 2023

On the other hand, Australia's second innings saw Alex Carey and Mitchell Starc put up a strong defense, ensuring that Australia were not all out for a second time in the match. Australia declared on a score of 270/8, leaving India with a monumental task ahead.

To win the WTC Final mace, India will have to shatter the record for the highest successful run chase in the history of Test cricket. It's a daunting task, but with the talent and determination of the Indian team, anything is possible.

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