IMAGES from Day 3 of the WTC Final between Australia and India, played at The Oval, in London, on Friday.
India's Ajinkya Rahane revived his international career with a courageous effort in seaming conditions but it could not prevent Australia from extending their supremacy in the World Test Championship final at The Oval, in London, on Friday.
At stumps, Australia extended their lead to 296 runs by reaching 123 for four in 44 overs in their second innings.
Marnus Labuschagne (41 batting) and Cameron Green (7 batting) were in the middle.
The pitch offers seam movement but the spinners also came into play on Friday with Ravindra Jadeja taking two wickets and reigniting the debate on R Ashwin's non-selection for the title clash.
Mohammed Siraj was the standout Indian pacer once again as he got rid of David Warner (1) with a ball that seamed away from off-stump and took the edge on way to the wicketkeeper. Usman Khawaja's second failure of the game came after a loose drive off Umesh Yadav.
A rare positive from India's point of view was that Australia's first innings centurions Steve Smith (34) and Travis Head (18) departed in quick succession.
Umesh made a mess of a regulation catch offered by Head at deep midwicket but Jadeja had him caught and bowled in the same over.
Smith had a rare lapse in concentration and his attempted slog led to him being caught by Thakur.
It will take a special effort from India to bounce back in the game but Rahane showed that runs could be scored against a formidable pace attack. His gritty innings had 11 fours and a spectacular six over fine leg off opposition captain Pat Cummins.
Earlier, Australia were 23 for one in their second innings at tea on the third day of the World Test Championship Final.
Usman Khawaja (13 batting) and Marnus Labuschagne (8 batting) were at the crease as Australia led India by 196 runs at the break.
Mohammed Siraj continued to be India's standout bowler in the game and removed David Warner in the fourth over.
He bowled his heart out with his sharp short balls roughing up Marnus Labuschagne on two occasions.
Ajinkya Rahane and Shardul Thakur kept India in the game with a rearguard 109-run stand but Australia still managed to take a massive 173-run lead on day three.
Having reached 260 for six at lunch, India could only 36 runs in the afternoon session to end with 296 all out in 69.4 overs.
Rahane (89 off 129 balls) could not add to his tally after the break, and having once again delivered in challenging overseas conditions, fell to a stunning one-handed catch by Cameron Green at gully.
Rahane went through with the shot away from his body off Pat Cummins and a diving Green plucked the flying ball out of thin air for a memorable catch.
Thakur (51 off 109) was able to get to his third half century at The Oval with a couple of straight drives off Cummins. India's tail hardly put up a resistance and the team was bowled out midway into the second session.
Resuming the third day on overnight 151 for five and 318 runs behind Australia's first innings total of 469 all out, India lost KS Bharat early but Rahane and Thakur added 109 runs for the seventh wicket to help their team avoid follow-on at The Oval.
However, India lost the remaining wickets quickly after the lunch break.
Earlier, Ajinkya Rahane stood tall amid the ruins in his comeback game as he showed remarkable skill and courage against a hostile Australian pace attack to take India to 260 for six at lunch on day three of the World Test Championship Final.
India remained behind in the game despite the resilience of Rahane (89 batting off 122). Giving him much needed support was Shardul Thakur (36 batting off 83), who survived two nasty blows on his forearm and was dropped twice.
India, who resumed the day at 151 for five in response to Australia's 469, need 10 runs to avoid follow-on.
It was commendable that India managed to score 109 runs in 22 overs bowled in the session on Friday.
The way Scott Boland and Pat Cummins got the ball to kick off length in the first hour, one could sense a wicket off every ball.
Boland ripped through the defences of K S Bharat on the second ball of the day as the Indian wicketkeeper had no answer to a delivery that jagged back in sharply from length.
Cummins looked equally threatening from other end and hit Thakur's forearm on back-to-back balls with extra bounce, requiring physio's intervention.
Like Thakur, Rahane too had luck going his way as he dropped by David Warner at first slip when he was on 72.
After getting a few streaky boundaries, Rahane got his fifty with a spectacular six off Cummins over fine leg. The Australian skipper angled one into his body and Rahane made room to pull it for a maximum.
His best shot of the morning was a cover drive off Cameron Green and it came after a thick edge that flew over the slip cordon, showing that one had to take his chances on this wicket.
The final moments of the session were full of action. Rahane got consecutive fours off Nathon Lyon via a back foot punch and a crisp drive through the cover.
The last over before lunch saw Thakur being adjudged lbw but it ended up being a no ball from Cummins. The Aussie skipper had also overstepped after trapping Rahane in front of the stumps on day two.
