India vs Australia, WTC Final Day 3 Highlights: AUS lead by 296 runs at Stumps

And then gets right in his face with a smile. Good length delivery rears up and raps Labuschagne on the glove, he throws the bat away and waves his bat around but manages to return Siraj's stare as well.

Khawaja pulls Siraj fifth ball of the eighth, goes past square leg to the boundary.

Well there was almost another run out off the second ball of that over. This thime the roles were reversed, Khawaja was at the non-striker's end and sent Labuschagne back. There was arguably an easy single there and so Labuschagne won't be too happy with that call.

Length ball from Siraj for the third delivery of the sixth, Labuschagne taps wide of third man where Gill puts in a full length dive and stops it. Labuschagne comes a couple of steps down before trying to send Khawaja back but the latter is already at his end of the pitch! Gill, though throws at the striker's end and so Labuschagne has time to reach the crease.

Shami and Siraj making the Aussies duck and weave at the moment. Khawaja is on 3 off 19, Labuschagne is on none off 3.

Warner nicks the third ball of the fourth over behind and someone has to wake Marnus up! It's time for him to come out to bat. He was snoring away with his pads on leaning back on his chair at the balcony up until that wicket fell. Warner rooted to the top spot as he hangs his bat out at the back of a length delivery, outside edge to the wicketkeeper who takes a brilliant catch.

Warner c Bharat b Siraj 1 (8), Australia 2/1

Forget about comparisons with Ian "Beefy" Botham, Thakur has equalled The Don himself today. This was his third consecutive half century at The Oval and he is only the second man to do so since Bradman.

Just the one run off the first over by Shami and that got Usman Khawaja off a pair.

It had been a brilliant fightback from India's lower order but a 173-run lead on this pitch is gigantic. Australia are still well ahead and it is pretty safe to say that a win is pretty much impossible for India in normal Test match terms. But this is the "ultimate Test", wonder if some miracles are in store. For now, Australia effectively start their second innings on 173/0. 

This Australia do take the last wicket successfully. Starc with a bouncer going down leg, Shami goes for a big pull shot. He ends up gloving it to the wicketkeeper.

Scenes here! The Australians were walking off the field, they thought Green got Siraj. Yorker that rapped Siraj on the pads, big appeal from the Aussies and the umpire raises his finger. Siraj reviews immediately but the Aussies almost ignore that, that's how confident they were of this being out. As it turns out, there was a little nick! The Aussies have to run back! Warner and Khawaja even had started getting their pads on. Hilarious scenes.

Thakur goes for a big mow down the ground. Gets a slight outside edge on it and it flies to the wicketkeeper for a regulation catch.

Thakur c Carey b Green 51 (109), India 294/9

Fourth Test half century for Shardul Thakur, another one that has come at a time when India were down and out. He copped a blow on the body off the previous ball of that over, then drives the last ball past mid-off to the boundary. This has been a colossal innings from the fast bowling all-rounder, he has been part of some famous Indian wins over the last few years with the bat and this is another one of those innings.

Third ball of the 68th from Cummins, he overpitches and Thakur straight drives the ball right past the bowler to the boundary.

It is off an inside edge and it misses the stumps to go to the boundary but Shami won't care about any of that. He will tell you that he hit back to back fours off a bowler against whom the likes of Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara struggled to get a single run off.

Boland overpitches the third ball of the 67th and Shami sends it past the bowler to the boundary. He did get a valiant half century in India's 2021 tour of England remember.

Cummins pitches that at a length, maybe a hint of movement away and it is too good for Umesh. Hits the top of off.

Umesh Yadav b Cummins 5 (11), India 271/8 in 65.5 overs

India three runs away from avoiding the follow on now. It has quietened down since Rahane's dismissal but India would hope that they can survive as long as possible in this session. 

Oh that's a catch for the ages at gully from Cameron Green and Ajinkya Rahane won't get his 13th Test century. Short of a length from Cummins for the last ball of the 62nd. Rahane takes a waft, thick outside edge and it darts to the right of gully. Green has almost no reaction time, sticks out his right hand and the ball sticks. He had dropped an absolute sitter and now he takes a ripper. Ah, Test cricket. Rahane gets applause as he walks off, the partnership between him and Thakur ends on 109 off 145.

Rahane c Green b Cummins 89 (129), India 261/7 in 62 overs

Rahane remains on 89 and India remain on 260/6 at the end of that over.

Here are Rahane and Thakur, the Indian support cheering for them as they make their way out. The Australians walk in as well after a brief huddle. Rahane 11 runs away from a century, Boland will bowl the first over of the session. 

Sourav Ganguly was all praise for Rahane at the break. “Ajinkya Rahane has got character and guts, he's not someone who lets it go easily. He is a champion player, and once again he showed it today,” he said on Star Sports. 

Cummins lost his head a bit there, boots the ball to slip after the last delivery of that session. Australia collectively seemed to lose it really in that over and so they will be glad that this session is over. It has been India's through and through solely because of this extraordinarilt gutsy partnership from Rahane and Thakur. They have both been peppered by the Aussie pacers, particularly Cummins, but they stood strong. Eventually, the rub of the green also went their way with Australia dropping catches at slip and Cummins overstepping yet again after getting a batter out LBW. Rahane is on 89 off 122, Thakur on 36 off 83, the partnership between the pair is on 108 off 133.

When it rains it pours. Fifth ball of that over flies past Thakur's outside edge. Carey and Smith at first slip wanted Cummins to review it, Warner at second slip wasn't interested. Neither was Cummins really but he goes for it. Flat line as the ball passed bat.

AGAIN! Rahane was on 17 yesterday when Cummins had got him off a no ball. Now replays show that the Australian captain had overstepped here as well. And just to put salt and chilli powder on wounds, replays further show that the umpire's call would have been held up, as was the case with Rahane yesterday.