India find themselves in a precarious position as their grip on the World Test Championship (WTC) final at The Oval loosens. With Australia already enjoying a substantial lead of 296 runs with six wickets in hand, Team India face the formidable challenge of chasing down the highest successful chase in the history of the game.
Several factors have contributed to India’s plight, starting with the decision to drop R Ashwin. After spending a total of 469 runs in the first innings and losing four top-order wickets at 71/4, their chances of a favorable result became slim. Despite a valiant fightback led by Ajinkya Rahane and Shardul Thakur, both of whom scored half-centuries, India find themselves playing catch-up. However, chasing a target of over 300 in the fourth innings against Australia’s high-quality bowling attack is a huge challenge.
Amid India’s struggles at The Oval, former Pakistan batsman Basit Ali launched a scathing attack on the team, believing the match was called off early after captain Rohit Sharma decided to bowl in rain conditions Was. While India initially had an advantage by restricting Australia to 76/3, counter-attacking centuries from Travis Head and Steve Smith swung the momentum firmly in Australia’s favour.
Ali, who has represented Pakistan in 19 Tests and 50 ODIs, believes India can only save the WTC final through a miraculous turn of events. Expressing his criticism on his YouTube channel, Ali said, “India lost the match when they decided to bowl in worry for the first two hours. All India can do now is hope to get them out cheaply and Expect miracles in the 4th innings. During the 120 overs India fielded, I could see only 2-3 players getting fit – Rahane, Kohli and Jadeja. The rest looked tired.
Ali’s criticism was not limited to the players – he also criticized coach Rahul Dravid. Despite being a big fan of “The Wall”, Ali questioned the team management’s strategy and expressed disappointment over Dravid’s coaching abilities. Ali said, “I am a huge fan of Rahul Dravid, always have been and always will be. He is a class player, a legend. However, as a coach he is absolutely ineffective. He produced turning pitches in India. Just Answer it.” : When India toured Australia, were similar pitches prepared? They had bouncy wickets, didn’t they? God knows what he was thinking. When the higher power was distributing intelligence, he must have been hiding behind the mountains.











