The third day of the 2023 World Test Championship (WTC) final was full of ups and downs. From Ajinkya Rahane and Shardul Thakur battling back with the bat to Australia’s top-order collapsing under the strain of India’s relentless bowling, the eventful day at the Oval generated much discussion. However, one of the greatest talking points of the day was when Australia’s second innings began and star-batting all-rounder Marnus Labuschagne was caught napping. The incident was captured on camera before and after the dismissal of David Warner.
Mohammed Siraj dismissed Warner for a single run early on; however, after Warner’s dismissal, it was Labuschagne’s turn to bat, and the 28-year-old was abruptly awakened immediately after Warner’s dismissal. In addition, he stepped forward to clarify the situation and stated that he was simply resting his eyes.
“I was simply resting my eyes between two spheres and unwinding. I was attempting to soothe my nerves slightly. You cannot constantly monitor the game. I awoke almost immediately after rising. “I didn’t have a lot of time to rest when Siraj hit the first run,” Marnus Labuschagne said to SEN Cricket.
Team India maintains control at the conclusion of Day 3
After a subpar performance with the ball in the first inning, India, headed by Rohit Sharma, appears to have recovered in the second inning. Following David Warner’s dismissal, Usman Khawaja was also unable to develop his innings. In 39 deliveries, the 36-year-old only managed to collect 13 runs.
In addition, the Australians‘ situation deteriorated further when Steve Smith and Travis Head were sent back to the pavilion early. In the first innings, Smith and Head were phenomenal, scoring respective centuries; in the second innings, however, they both fell victim to Ravindra Jadeja.
With Labuschagne and Cameron Green at the crease, Australia scored 123 runs despite having lost four wickets by the conclusion of Day 3.
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