Team India all-rounder Shardul Thakur had a great outing with the bat in the first innings of the World Test Championship final against Australia on Friday, June 9 at The Kennington Oval in London. He slammed a fifty as Team India fought its way back in the summit clash, to keep themselves in the match.
Shardul Thakur came out to bat when India was in a spot of trouble having lost six wickets for 152 runs on the board. They were trailing by 310 runs. The all-rounder joined Ajinkya Rahane at the crease to steady the Indian batting attack. The duo put together 109 runs for the seventh-wicket partnership.
Rahane was dismissed for 89 runs, while Shardul Thakur continued to hold fort even after the former’s dismissal. He got out for 51 runs off 109 runs, with six boundaries. This was Shardul Thakur’s fourth fifty in Test cricket, and third at The Kennington Oval in London. He became the first Asian batter to score three fifties at the venue, and the third visiting batter. Don Bradman and Allan Border are the other two cricketers to hold the records.
FIFTY!
A gritty and important half-century by @imShard here at the Oval ๐ซก๐ซก
His 4th in Test cricket.
Live – https://t.co/0nYl21oYkYโฆ #WTC23 pic.twitter.com/dsk4T0muap
โ BCCI (@BCCI) June 9, 2023
Let’s take a look at how fans reacted to Shardul Thakur’s performance in the WTC final:
Most consecutive fifty plus scores as a visiting batter at the Oval:
Shardul Thakur – 3.
Don Bradman – 3.
– Lord Shardul…!! pic.twitter.com/489SFSvw59
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) June 9, 2023
Respecting the title we gave him. ALL HAIL THE LORD. You have our respect Shardul. #WTCFinal2023 #INDvsAUS #WTCFinal pic.twitter.com/GEvYl3Dnq5
— The Cow Corner (@_cow_corner_) June 9, 2023
When reporter asked Sir Don Bradman who can break his records , he smiled and said Don of palghar Lord shardul Thakur . #Shardul #WTCFinal2023 pic.twitter.com/j5JX3TIejA
— TAAGASTYA (@LalPatrakar) June 9, 2023
Ajinkya Rahane's knock had 'Class' written all over it!
When in trouble, Rahane has more often than not, bailed India out!
Shardul Thakur as well, what a wonderful partnership it was!
Can be called the 'Dombivali-Palghar' partnership at the Oval!— Prasanna Sant (@SantPrasanna) June 9, 2023
Bruised but unbroken ๐ช
Shardul Thakur and Ajinkya Rahane's determined century stand brought back India to the WTC final.
๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐ pic.twitter.com/v88Lfry1zq
— CricTracker (@Cricketracker) June 9, 2023
Shardul Thakur's Test batting average at The Oval has reached 82. ๐๐ผ#WTCFinal2023 #INDvsAUS
— Jamie Alter ๐ฎ๐ณ (@alter_jamie) June 9, 2023
Fifty by Shardul Thakur!
What a cracking innings by Lord Shardul. He's playing a gem of a knock for India here. First gave his best with the bowl and now with the bat. pic.twitter.com/lsJBTbKbag
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) June 9, 2023
A lot of lower-order hitters annoy opposition teams. Shardul Thakur rattles them & itโs incredible how often he does that, like he has with the Australians this morning at The Oval #WTC23Final
— Bharat Sundaresan (@beastieboy07) June 9, 2023
Lord Shardul Thakur supremacy pic.twitter.com/IuanjfN0Sw
— desi mojito ๐ฎ๐ณ (@desimojito) June 9, 2023
Shardul appears to have discovered that The Oval is his stomping ground, as he has notched his third consecutive Test fifty in style.๐ฎ๐ณ
๐ท BCCI โข #ShardulThakur #WTCFinal #WTC23 #INDvAUS #AUSvIND #TeamIndia #BharatArmy pic.twitter.com/w8mJngrYXR
— The Bharat Army (@thebharatarmy) June 9, 2023
Sourav Ganguly praises Ajinkya Rahane and Shardul Thakur
Former cricketer Sourav Ganguly was all praise for Ajinkya Rahane and Shardul Thakur’s partnership in the World Test Championship final. He expressed that the duo’s knock was a message to the Indian dressing room. Ganguly also added that Shardul Thakur got hit on the body a few times, but hung in at the crease to play a gutsy knock.
โThey showed it to the dressing room that if you apply and have a little bit of luck then you will be able to score runs on this wicket. Credit to Rahane, he was magnificent. Shardul got battered and bruised early on but he hung in there,โ Ganguly said post lunch on Day 3.
โHe (Shardul) has batted well in the past in England and Australia. Itโs a good fightback from India. This is a message to the top order,โย he added.
Team India finished the first innings at 296 runs, handing a 173 runs lead to Australia. Pat Cummins was the pick of the bowlers with three wickets in the innings. Meanwhile, Australia lost David Warner early for just one run in the second innings. They were at 23 runs for the loss of a wicket at tea break.
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