IND vs AUS HIGHLIGHTS Day 5, WTC Final: Australia beats India by 209 runs to win World Test Championship title

India’s ICC title drought has now extended for 10 years and it has lost back-to-back World Test Championship finals. However, it will need to regroup soon as the next WTC cycle begins next month in West Indies. Check out India’s forthcoming schedule.

WTC 2023-2025: India full schedule, tours, matches list

IND vs AUS, WTC 2023-2025: India will begin its next six-series World Test Championship cycle with two matches on its all-format tour to West Indies in July 2023.

We made the most of it. We were certainly going to bowl. The way Travis Head and Smithy put on that partnership, it gave us the comfort after a nervy morning. He (Head) has been brilliant right throughout this campaign, started with the Ashes a couple of years ago. He just puts the pressure right back on the bowlers and suddenly you are thinking about how to contain runs rather than taking wickets. We left day one feeling like we were on top of the game. When it counted, we played really well. We could have really driven the game but we didn’t have our best day and let India closer back in. For the most parts, we were in control. Scott Boland - he’s my favourite player. He just continues to be my favourite. Everyone did their role really well. Coming off a break, everyone switched on when it mattered. Everyone played really well and we’ll savour this for a few years before we turn our attention to the Ashes. This is our favourite format, we grew up watching Test cricket. It challenges you. When you win, it’s the format you get most satisfaction with. We love playing.

I thought we started well with winning the toss, putting them to bat in those conditions. We bowled well in the first session and then we let ourselves down with how we bowled. Got to give credit to the Australian batters. Travis Head came in and played really well along with Steve Smith. That just took us off guard a little bit. We knew it was always hard to comeback, but we put up a good show. We fought till the end.

We’ve worked hard for all those four years. Playing two finals is honestly a good achievement for us. But we’d like to go a mile ahead as well.

You can’t take the credit away from what we’ve done in those last two years to come here. Great effort from the entire unit. Unfortunate that we couldn’t go on and win the final but we’ll keep our heads high and fight.

Lot of hard work over the two years. It’s been nice. That’s been the approach for two years. Said through the week that I want to be able to be proactive. I was tested throughout the innings. It was nice to be out there for a period of time with Smudge (Steve Smith). Amazing week. Amazing Test from him and what we’ve come to expect (from him) here in England. Hope it’s a big couple of months from him. And I’ve always said that it feels like all the plans go to him, all the attention he draws, and I can just go about my work. Nice to spend some time out with him. I’ve always had the confidence. It’s about going out there and expressing that. It took me some time and everyone goes through that. I’ve always been open to change, open to learning. I’ve bedded down somewhat of a blueprint. It’s not always going to work. It’s nice to work that out in such a big game and hopefully continues in the next couple of months. Lot of what-ifs going to bed last night. We’ve come across such moments through the two years where we’ve had to grind it out. We were able to do that again today.

Lyon to continue. Siraj defends well. OUT! Siraj goes for the reverse-sweep and it’s taken at point. Mohammed Siraj c Boland b Lyon 1 (6b). Australia beats India comprehensively by 209 runs and lifts its first WTC title.

FOUR! Starc continues. Too full and Shami drives it down the ground for a boundary. FOUR! Short and pulled away by Shami to the boundary behind for consecutive boundaries. Drifting down leg and taken behind by Carey. Umpire gives it out but Shami reviews it. This has gone off the thigh pad and Shami survives. He flicks one off the backfoot for a single through square-leg. Full and wide outside off and Siraj is beaten trying to get some bat on it. Siraj is off the mark with a flick off his pads.

Lyon to continue. There is an appeal for a stumping and the leg umpire goes up for the review. It looked like Bharat had his foot in the air for a while. Bharat has dragged his foot back in time and he is safe. OUT! Bharat goes for a big heave down the ground on leg-side and the ball shoots up high in the air for Lyon to complete an easy catch. KS Bharat c & b Lyon 23 (41b 2x4). Siraj is the last man in.

Starc to continue. OUT! Bouncer, Umesh gets some glove on it as he tries to evade it and brilliantly caught by Carey behind the stumps. Umesh Yadav c Carey b Starc 1 (12b). Shami is in next. FOUR! Shami uppercuts this short delivery to the third-man boundary. Drifting down leg and well-collected by Carey.

Lyon continues. Bharat goes for a purposeful sweep but gets just a single at deep midwicket. Umesh gets an outside edge through the cordon for one more.

Starc continues around the wicket. FIVE RUNS! Overthrows from Green and that runs away to the boundary. Five runs added to Bharat’s score. Starc beaten Umesh from around the wicket as he angles it in and gets it to seam in a bit too.

Lyon continues. OUT! Thakur presses forward to defend and is trapped in front. The umpire raises his finger straightaway. This is hitting middle-stump. Shardul Thakur lbw b Lyon 0 (5b). Umesh Yadav comes in.

Here comes Starc again. OUT! Rahane has to walk back now and Australia moves closer to getting its hands on that mace. A bit of extra bounce, Rahane looks to drive a length ball outside off and gets an outside edge to the keeper. Ajinkya Rahane c Carey b Starc 46 (108b 7x4). Shardul Thakur comes in now. Wicket maiden for Starc.

Lyon comes into the attack. Bharat goes back and defends it back to the bowler. He strides forward to defend this on off-side. Punched off the backfoot for a single. FOUR! Beautifully placed between through covers off the backfoot for a boundary by Rahane. He keeps the strike with a single through covers.

Starc will continue. FOUR! Half-volley on off-stump and Rahane drives it down the ground effortlessly for a boundary. Full outside off this time and Rahane drives it straight to cover-point. Rahane is solid in his defence after that boundary first ball.

Green to continue. Starts with a couple of dot balls. Now a bouncer and Rahane ducks. He defends one off the backfoot as Boland bowls a hard length outside off. Rahane clips one off his toes for a single. Now a bouncer to Bharat, who takes evasive action.

Starc continues. He angles the first one down leg-side. Bharat tucks one off his hips for a single at deep square-leg. FOUR! Rahane drives this down the groud with a full face of the bat and it races away to the boundary. Tucked off the hips now for one more behind square-leg.

Green continues. Beaten! Moves away a touch from back of a length and Bharat pulls out of the shot late to let the ball go. Bharat flicks one off his pads but stopped by Head at short-leg. FOUR! Full outside off and sublimely driven by Bharat through point for a boundary. He keeps the strike with a single. Drinks Break!

Starc replaces Boland. Starts with a fuller one and defended to extra-cover by Bharat. He gets a couple through square-leg off an inside edge. Cut away behind to third by Bharat for one more. Starc ends the over with a bouncer.

Green replaces Cummins. Bharat gets another inside edge as the ball moves in and he gets a single at square-leg. Tight first over from Green.

Boland continues. Gets the ball to seam in, hit Rahane on the pads but this is going down leg-side. Punched off the backfoot by Rahane but stopped at point. Hit on the pads again, not given but Cummins reviews it. This looked like it was going down leg as well. It is missing leg-stump and Australia loses another review. They are left with just one now. Rahane flicks one off his pads for a single at midwicket. Bharat drives outside off but it goes off the inside half of the bat to midwicket for one more.

Cummins will continue. Rahane picks a leg-bye. Bharat ducks under a bouncer but takes his eyes off and the ball crashes into his helmet. He undergoes a concussion test.

Beaten! Full outside off, Kohli pokes and misses. The Australians seem to have heard something and Cummins has gone up for the review. A horrible review as there is daylight between bat and ball. Australia loses a review. Kohli leaves this one outside off. OUT! Kohli goes for a drive very wide outside off and edges behind, where Smith takes a stunning catch in the slips. Virat Kohli c Smith b Boland 49 (78b 7x4). Ravindra Jadeja comes in next. Jadeja leaves the first one outside off. OUT! Angling in from around the wicket and Jadeja gets an edge to the keeper as he hangs his bat outside off-stump. Ravindra Jadeja c Carey b Boland 0 (2b). KS Bharat the new man in. FOUR! Bharat gets an outside edge and this flies over the slip cordon and goes to the boundary.

Cummins to continue. Kohli defends it back off the front-foot outside off-stump. Pushed to extra-cover by Kohli for a quick single. Beaten! That jagged in a bit from outside off and got Rahane on the thigh pad. Steered by Rahane behind point with an open face for one more. Short and pulled away by Kohli for a single and he keeps strike.

Boland continues. He gets one to rear off a length outside off and Kohli lets it go. Beautiful cover-drive from Kohli but straight to the extra-cover fielder. Close! Seaming in with the angle and Kohli lets it go but the ball was very close to off-stump. Kohli now pushes behind point again off the front-foot for a single. Rahane drives a full one to mid-on. Just a single from the over.

Cummins continues. Rahane pushes one behind point for a single. Back of a length on off and Kohli hops and defends it back. Kohli now guides one behind point for a single. Cummins goes short but this is angling down leg and Rahane just ducks under it. FOUR! This was lucky! Short, Rahane tried to evade it late and it went off the edge to the boundary behind.

Boland will continue. Almost chopped on! Rahane gets an inside edge driving this back of a length delivery and almost knocks his stumps over. Rahane steers to third-man with an open face for a single. Kohli defends a length ball outside off solidly. A huge LBW appeal as Kohli shuffles across a bit to flick this full delivery on the pads. Umpire is unmoved and Cummins doesn’t review it. Just a single from the over.

Cummins from the other end. Kohli takes a single off the first ball as he pushes a length delivery to midwicket. Guided by Rahane behind point for a couple. Steered again by Rahane behind point for one more.

The Australian team breaks out of the huddle as Kohli and Rahane make their way to the middle. It all comes down to this day! Will India create history in chasing down the biggest total ever and end its trophy drought or will Australia become the first team to win all possible ICC titles? Boland to start the proceedings with the ball. Ominous signs for India as the first ball of the day keeps low outside off and beats Rahane. Back of a length on off-stump next up and Rahane defends it on the front-foot. Fuller this time and Rahane defends again on the front-foot. A couple of neat drives by Rahane off the middle of the bat but no runs yet. Maiden over to start the day.

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The weather has behaved so far in the Ultimate Test but there is forecast of rain later in the day in London. Currently, it is 22 degrees Celsius and sunny.

• 588 - England and India - Manchester, 1936
• 522 - England and South Africa - Lord’s, 1924
• 509 - Sri Lanka and Bangladesh - Colombo, 2002
• 508 - England and South Africa - The Oval, 1935
• 506 - Pakistan and England - Rawalpindi, 2022

• 459 - Australia and New Zealand - Brisbane, 2001
• 458 - Australia and West Indies - Sydney, 1969
• 447 - England and Australia - The Oval, 2013

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WTC Final: Correct decision was made, says Ponting on Green’s catch to dismiss Gill

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting reckons the catch taken by all-rounder Cameron Green to dismiss Indian opener Shubman Gill was a “correct decision” by the third umpire.

• 404 - Australia v England - Target: 404 in Leeds, 1948
• 344 - West Indies v England - Target: 342 at Lord’s 1984
• 325 - India v Australia - Target: 328 at Gabba, 2021
• 317 - Australia v India - Target: 343 in Perth, 1977
• 317 - West Indies v England - Target: 322 in Leeds, 2017
• 311 - England v Australia - Target: 315 in Leeds, 2001
• 302 - Pakistan v Sri Lanka - Target: 302 in Sharjah, 2014

India faces a Herculean task, but there is hope yet. To claim the ICC World Test Championship title, the side will have to record the highest chase in history.

With 164 runs in the bag in pursuit of the 444-run target, India has put itself in contention. Virat Kohli (44 batting, 60b, 7x4) and Ajinkya Rahane (20 batting, 59b, 3x4) believe in the dream. On Sunday, the final day, 280 runs stand between India and a long-awaited ICC trophy.

The pitch at The Oval can spring a few awkward questions to batters, but overall, it is nowhere near a minefield. A steady, determined approach is all the batters need to get the job done.

Kohli looked in good nick, placing the straight drives and flicks to perfection. Rahane, the hero of the first innings, was

characteristically calm and composed at the crease. The Mumbai batter is batting with tape on his injured finger, but has not shown any signs of discomfort.

The India essay began with some drama. Opener Shubman Gill flashed at a ball outside off, getting an edge to gully. Cameron Green stuck his left hand out to latch on, but his hands brushed the ground as he fell. By conventional logic, the fact that Green had his fingers under the ball would tilt the argument in favour of a clean catch, but in this case, it was not clear cut.

The television umpire, Richard Kettleborough, declared Gill out. Captain and partner Rohit Sharma voiced his displeasure, and the crowd briefly directed chants of “cheat, cheat” in Green’s direction.

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Rohit’s dismissal sometime later came as a huge blow. Rohit (43, 60b, 7x4, 1x6) settled in by pulling all short deliveries in great style. He was confident enough to walk down to Scott Boland, stroking one to the mid-wicket boundary.

When off-spinner Nathan Lyon was brought on, Rohit was expected to dominate. Instead, he completely missed a sweep and was struck on the pads in front of the middle stump. Australia was relieved, as a free-flowing Rohit could have made any target seem gettable.

Cheteshwar Pujara let himself down with a poor shot. Pujara brushed an upper-cut to the wicketkeeper when he would have been better served leaving it well alone.

Having snapped up Rohit and Pujara in the space of six balls, the Australians were over the moon.

Earlier, Alex Carry (66 n.o., 105b, 8x4) and Mitchell Starc (41, 57b, 7x4) put on a 93-run seventh-wicket partnership to keep the Indians at bay. The duo scored at a good rate, as the lead continued to bulge. Australia took the bold decision to declare well before Tea, leaving itself a little over four sessions to bowl India out.

Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja posed the biggest threat, as he was primed to use the rough outside the left-hander’s off stump. Jadeja was on the money, taking three wickets.

- Ashwin Achal

Day 5 of the India vs Australia World Test Championship final will be shown live on Star Sports and streamed live on Disney+Hotstar from 3 PM IST.