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Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane remained unbeaten on Day 4 of the ongoing World Test Championship final against Australia and kept India in the fight as they need 280 runs to win on the fifth day. Australia declared their innings at 270/8, setting up a target of 444. Later, India lost the wickets of Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Shubman Gill, before Kohli and Rahane stitched the unbeaten partnership of 71 runs. On Day 4, former Australia coach Justin Langer shed light on a sledging incident between Virat Kohli and Steve Smith.
On the third day, Australia star batter Steve Smith was dismissed for 34 after he played a poor shot on Ravindra Jadeja‘s delivery, which was caught by Cheteshwar Pujara. Talking about the dismissal, Langer revealed the conversation that took place between Kohli and Smith.
“Virat Kohli walked up to Steve Smith and said ‘rubbish shot yesterday’. Steve Smith just looked at him. If anyone else would have said it he would have gone ‘whatever’. But he said, ‘that’s right, it was a rubbish shot’,” Langer revealed during commentary for Channel 7.
“If 99.9 percent of the population said that to Steve Smith he would go ‘whatever’. But coming from Virat, one genius to another, he goes ‘OK, fair enough’,” he added.
Smith played a massive knock of 121 runs in the first innings but fell for just 34 runs in the second innings.
Kohli was batting on 44 off 60 balls and had Ajinkya Rahane (20 batting) for company during a stand of 71 for the fourth wicket as India ended the fourth day on 164 for 3 in pursuit of world record chase of 444.
Having been set a mammoth target, India lost Shubman Gill (18 off 19) to a contentious catch before skipper Rohit Sharma (43 off 60) and Cheteshwar Pujara (27 off 47) brought about their own downfall to make it 93 for three in 31st over.
Though the highest chase at The Oval is 263, Indian fans will not lose hope going into day five with Kohli and Rahane hardly facing any trouble with batting not looking so difficult on the penultimate day.
(With PTI Inputs)
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