India caught in the crossroads of history as Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane fight on for World Test Championship glory

Ellis “Red” Redding: “What are you talking about?” 

Andy Dufresne: “Hope.”

Red said, “Hope is a dangerous thing. Drives a man insane.” In response to this scathing word by Ellis, Andy responded, “Remember, Red: Hope is a good thing. Maybe the best of things. And no good thing ever dies.”

This aforementioned dialogue was between the two leading characters of one of the most famous movies of all time, a movie that has attained cult stature by now, called the Shawshank Redemption. It is a very profound exchange of dialogue that talks about one of the most elusive and yet one of the deepest aspects of life hope.

Hope is what is keeping the Indian camp on its feet at least for the day, hope is what will drive the Indian players to the very fringes of madness if it all goes south and yet it is the very thing that can also guide them towards the very cusp of history.

With 280 needed from 97 overs on the final day of the World Test Championship and seven wickets in hand, India will be pinning their hopes on two seasoned veterans, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane, two familiar names that have somehow linked themselves with history over and over again. May it be on the distant shores of SENA nations or back home, these two have always answered when history came knocking.

However, it is not going to be easy and who said what about a rare diamond coming easy? Who said that Rome was built in a day without sacrifices? And who could have been better to be on the fringes of what can be a blazing madness devouring India or probably history embracing them with arms wide open than the King himself?

The first hour will obviously see the ball moving around imperatively which does open up the avenues for Australia to try and clean up the Indian resistance but if that phase can be braved, the movement would be receding and the bounce would ideally be modest, allowing the batters to breathe if not run away with the bragging rights.

Team India’s highest chase in the Oval in a Test match was 173 where Ajit Wadekar led the charge with a sublime 45 while being complemented perfectly by Gundappa Vishwanath (33) and Farokh Engineer (28*).

However, a major source of hope for India would be the highest number of runs that were being totted by them in a fourth innings, quoting the 429/8. Chasing 438, India almost managed to walk away with a victory, only to be denied in the dying embers. More recently though, India can take heart from their famous win at the Gabba, where a bruised and battered squad put up a herculean effort to record a memorable win against this very Australian team. 

With all said and done, history would just be a word today when Virat and Rahane arrive in the center to take the mighty yard, riddled with perils and thorns against the encroaching Australian pace quartet comprising the likes of Scott Boland, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Cameron Green. But then again, hope always remains and till there is hope, there is a way.