The Indian team was in a precarious position after the collapse of the top order, but Thakur's 109-run stand with Rahane saved the day and prevented a follow-on.
On Friday, Shardul Thakur made history by equalling the epic record of legendary Australian cricketers Sir Donald Bradman and Allan Border. During the match against Australia at the Kennington Oval in London, Thakur became the first Indian batter and third visiting batter to smash three Test half-centuries at the Oval. His crucial knock helped revive the falling Indian innings.
Thakur's performance was nothing short of exceptional, and it marked his third consecutive fifty as a star all-rounder. The Indian team was in a precarious position after the collapse of the top order, but Thakur's 109-run stand with Rahane saved the day and prevented a follow-on.
Shardul entered at number seven, delivering a stroke-filled fifty off 108 balls despite enduring a series of short-ball blows to the body from the Australian pacers. Unfortunately, he fell on 51 off the very next ball from Australia's captain, Pat Cummins. Despite Shardul's valiant effort, India was ultimately bowled out for 296, conceding a daunting 173-run first-innings lead to Australia.
In a thrilling return to Test cricket after a long hiatus, veteran Ajinkya Rahane dazzled with a score of 89, while Shardul Thakur remained unbeaten on 36, leading India to a commendable score of 260/6 at lunch on Day Three of the World Test Championship Final at The Oval on Friday.
The morning session began on a shaky note for India as K.S Bharat was clean bowled by Australia's Scott Boland in the first over, leaving the team at 151/5. The possibility of a quick collapse loomed large, but Rahane and Thakur displayed remarkable resilience and skill to capitalize on Australia's inconsistent bowling. They also received some lucky breaks, including no-balls and sloppy fielding, which helped India stay afloat and mount a solid fightback, reducing the deficit to 209 runs.
Rahane demonstrated precision in his timing and application, resulting in some truly scintillating strokeplay against both full and short balls. This impressive performance led him to become the 13th Indian batter to surpass 5000 runs in Test cricket.
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 "Shardul Thakur (Courtesy: Twitter @BCCI)")
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