Virat Kohli's resilient batting gives India hope of an extraordinary victory in the World Test Championship final against Australia at The Oval.
India ended the day at 164-3, still requiring 280 runs to reach a record-breaking total of 444. Kohli, unbeaten on 44, led the charge, while Ajinkya Rahane provided support with an unbeaten 20. The task ahead is challenging, as only four teams in the history of Test cricket have successfully chased more than 400 runs in the fourth innings. India remains confident, with Mohammed Shami stating their belief in a victory.
Australia needs seven more wickets on the final day to win their first major global men's trophy and carry momentum into the Ashes opener against England. India's pursuit of the daunting target started well, with Rohit Sharma hitting boundaries, but a controversial catch by Cameron Green dismissed Shubman Gill.
The decision drew criticism from Indian fans, who chanted "cheats." Despite the setback, Kohli continued to assert himself with boundaries, receiving enthusiastic support from the crowd.
Earlier, Australia declared their second innings at 270-8, setting a challenging target for India. Ravindra Jadeja's bowling performance stood out, removing Green in a haul of 3-58. Alex Carey played a crucial innings, scoring an unbeaten 66, and Mitchell Starc contributed 41 runs.
The match hangs in the balance as India faces an uphill battle in the final day, striving for a historic fourth-innings chase to secure their first ICC trophy in a decade. The intense contest promises an exciting conclusion to the World Test Championship final.
AUSTRALIA: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wkt), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (capt), Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland
INDIA: Rohit Sharma (capt), Shubman Gill, Chesteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Srikar Bharat (wkt), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj