WTC Final – IND Vs AUS: Kohli, Rohit leave early; Rahane, Jadeja handled India’s innings on the second day

India’s battle against Australia in the much-anticipated WTC Finals took an interesting turn on the second day of the match. India’s response faced a rocky start after a stellar performance from the Aussies, but found stability through a resilient partnership between Ravindra Jadeja and Ajinkya Rahane.

The day began with India’s bowlers determined to carve out a place in the Australian batting line-up. Mohammad Siraj’s ball came off the bat of Travis Head and landed safely in the gloves of wicketkeeper KS Bharat. Head, who played a brilliant innings of 163 runs, had to return to the pavilion.

However, Steve Smith continued his dominance, completing a century before falling victim to the 121-run bowling of Shardul Thakur. With the Australian innings ending on 469, India faced a daunting task in their reply.

The Indian top-order struggled to find stability as Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill contributed 15 and 13 runs respectively. Cheteshwar Pujara’s dismissal on a low score added to India’s woes. The pressure increased further when India’s maestro Virat Kohli also succumbed and got out after scoring just 14 runs.

See also: WTC Final – IND Vs AUS: Steve Smith’s 95 runs, Travis Head’s brilliant century gave the Aussies the lead on the first day

Yet, amid the collapse, Jadeja and Rahane displayed immense composure and skill. He stitched a crucial partnership, frustrating the Australian bowlers and reviving India’s hopes. Known for his versatile abilities, Jadeja displayed solid batting skills and contributed 48 runs before losing his wicket.

stumps on day two #WTC23 Last!#TeamIndia 151/5 at the end of the day’s play and 318 runs behind in the first innings.

Join us tomorrow for Day 3 of action :+1::skin-tone-2::+1::skin-tone-2:

Scorecard :arrow_forward: pic.twitter.com/dT7aOmDMWQ

– BCCI (@BCCI) June 8, 2023

At the end of the day’s play, India’s score was 151 for 5, with Rahane remaining unbeaten on 29. Rahane’s resilient performance and the fighting spirit shown by the lower middle order instilled renewed confidence in the Indian camp.

As the match progresses, India will be eyeing Rahane and Bharat, who ended the day on 5 runs, to continue their industrious effort and build a big innings. With the match being delicately drawn, the third day promises to be an enthralling encounter as both the teams vie for supremacy and the coveted title of World Test Champions.

See also: ‘Should have won at least one ICC..’ Fans fume as Justin Langer praises Virat Kohli’s captaincy during WTC final