Australia emerged triumphant in the final of the World Test Championship, overpowering India by a commanding margin of 209 runs at The Oval in London.
The Men in Blue faced a daunting target of 444 runs in their second innings but were eventually dismissed for 234 runs on the fifth day of the match.
This remarkable victory marks a significant milestone for Australia, as they have now clinched the one major men’s cricket title that had eluded them.
Nathan Lyon and Scott Boland were instrumental in dismantling the Indian batting lineup during the second innings, securing four and three wickets respectively.
Although Indian batsmen such as Rohit Sharma (43), Virat Kohli (49), and Ajinkya Rahane (46) displayed promising starts, none were able to consolidate their innings for an extended period.
India faced an uphill battle as they resumed on 164-3, requiring a further 280 runs to achieve a record-breaking total. The highest successful run chase in the fourth innings throughout Test history stands at the West Indies’ 418-7 against Australia at St John’s in 2003.
However, Scott Boland turned the tide by claiming two crucial wickets in three balls, including the prized scalp of star batsman Virat Kohli, during the first session of the final day.
Kohli, who had added just five runs to his overnight score, fell agonizingly short of a half-century as his edged drive off a wide delivery from Boland was brilliantly caught by Steve Smith diving to his right at second slip.
In a swift turn of events, Ravindra Jadeja departed without scoring, caught behind after nicking an exceptional delivery from Boland that angled away.
India faltered in their chase, losing their last seven wickets for the addition of just 70 runs, as Australia sealed a comprehensive victory.
Brief Scores:
- Australia 1st Innings: 469 (Travis Head 163, Steve Smith 121; Mohammed Siraj 4-108)
- India 1st Innings: 296 (Ajinkya Rahane 89, Shardul Thakur 51; Pat Cummins 3-83)
- Australia 2nd Innings: 270-8 dec (Alex Carey 66*; Ravindra Jadeja 3-58)
- India 2nd Innings: 234 (Nathan Lyon 4-41, Scott Boland 3-46)
Result: Australia won by 209 runs.