- This would be it from our end. Another day, another disappointment. India has done well in the ICC events since they last won their title in 2013 Champions Trophy led by MS Dhoni, but have been upstaged on days that mattered the most. Some serious introspection required by coach Rahul Dravid and skipper Rohit Sharma with ODI World Cup scheduled this year.
- Indians hopes are dashed as another ICC title has slipped by. The wicket of Kohli early morning was a big blow. The wicket was followed up by Rahane (46), Bharat (23), Thakur (0), Umesh (1), Shami (13 not out) and Siraj (1). As much as the expectation was of a miracle to happen, the target was too much to achieve in real sense. India loses, Australia win the World Test Championship title.
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SCREAMER! 🤩
— ICC (@ICC) June 11, 2023 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
A massive moment in the game! ☝
Follow the #WTC23 Final 👉 https://t.co/wJHUyVnX0r pic.twitter.com/GsHFfOGCme
">SCREAMER! 🤩
— ICC (@ICC) June 11, 2023
A massive moment in the game! ☝
Follow the #WTC23 Final 👉 https://t.co/wJHUyVnX0r pic.twitter.com/GsHFfOGCmeSCREAMER! 🤩
— ICC (@ICC) June 11, 2023
A massive moment in the game! ☝
Follow the #WTC23 Final 👉 https://t.co/wJHUyVnX0r pic.twitter.com/GsHFfOGCme
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WTC final Scoreboard: India vs Australia, Day 5
Australia 1st Innings: 469 all out
India 1st Innings: 296 all out
Australia 2nd Innings: 270/8 declared
India 2nd Innings (overnight: 164/3):
Rohit Sharma lbw Lyon 43
Shubman Gill c Green b Boland 18
Cheteshwar Pujara c Carey b Cummins 27
Virat Kohli c Smith b Boland 49
Ajinkya Rahane c Carey b Starc 46
Ravindra Jadeja c Carey b Boland 0
KS Bharat c&b Lyon 23
Shardul Thakur lbw Lyon 0
Umesh Yadav c Carey b Starc 1
Mohammed Shami not out 13
Mohammed Siraj c Cummins b Lyon 1
Extras: (LB-2, W-6, NB-5) 13
Total: (all out in 63.3 overs) 234
Fall of wickets: 1-41, 2-92, 3-93, 4-179, 5-179, 6-212, 7-213, 8-220, 9-224, 10-234
Bowling: Pat Cummins 13-1-55-1, Scott Boland 16-2-46-3, Mitchell Starc 14-1-77-2, Cameron Green 5-0-13-0, Nathan Lyon 15.3-2-41-4.
Here's what happened:
After dominating India over the course of five days Australia secured their maiden World Test Championship 2023 title on Sunday at the Oval, London. India succumbed to a score of 234 in 63.3 overs with Mohammad Shami as the last player standing with a score of 13(8)*.
In a single over, Australia's talisman Scott Boland changed the dynamics of the entire game as he dismissed set batter Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja. Boland exploited Kohli's Achilles heel as he lured him to play a cover drive. On any other day, Kohli would have opted to play against the shot but this time he couldn't control his desire to play his beloved shot. He went for the shot but only found a thick edge towards the slip, Steve Smith dived low to his right to take a stunning catch. Kohli lost his wicket just one run shy of his 29th half-century (49 off 78 balls).
On the final ball of the over, Jadeja fell to Boland's precise in-swinging delivery. Jadeja had no option except to offer a shot, he found an edge and the ball comfortably carried into the gloves of Alex Carey. Ajinkya Rahane and Shardul Thakur once again tried to string up a partnership to keep India's innings from falling apart. But their desperate counterattack came to an end as Rahane lost his wicket to Mitchell Starc. His dismissal was similar to Kohli, an unneeded shot that carried comfortably behind the stumps. Rahane's fairytale return to the Indian Test team came to an end with a score of 46(108).
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The celebrations are on 🎉🇦🇺#WTC23 | #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/bJrfmiM2Tf
— ICC (@ICC) June 11, 2023 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
">The celebrations are on 🎉🇦🇺#WTC23 | #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/bJrfmiM2Tf
— ICC (@ICC) June 11, 2023The celebrations are on 🎉🇦🇺#WTC23 | #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/bJrfmiM2Tf
— ICC (@ICC) June 11, 2023
Thakur fell in the next over for a five-ball duck as Nathan Lyon was introduced into the attack. Umesh Yadav and KS Bharat survived for a few overs. But Umesh didn't have an answer to deal with Starc's lethal pace bowling attack. Yadav walked back to the pavilion with a score of 1.
With an inevitable defeat on the cards, Mohammad Shami entertained the crowd by picking up two consecutive boundaries. Siraj Tried to do the same with a reverse sweep shot, but the ball landed straight into the hands of Boland. This marked the end of the second innings of the Indian team for a score of 234 in 63.3 overs.
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- India's poor show at the ICC events continued as Australia won their maiden World Test Championship title with a crushing 209-run victory on the fifth day of the summit clash. This was India's second defeat in successive WTC finals after losing to New Zealand in 2021 in the inaugural edition.
- Chasing an improbable target of 444, India started the day at 164 for 3 but soon lost batting mainstay Virat Kohli (49), followed by Ravindra Jadeja (0) and Ajinkya Rahane (43) to be bowled out for 234 in 63.3 overs.
- Scott Boland (3/46) was the best bowler on view as he removed Kohli and Jadeja in a single over to decisively end the contest and the rest was formality. Nathan Lyon (4/41), however, had the best figures as he mopped up the tail in a jiffy.
Brief Score: Australia 469 and 270/8 decl.
India 296 and 234 all out in 63.3 overs (Virat Kohli 49, Rohit Sharma 43, Ajinkya Rahane 43; Nathan Lyon 4/41, Scott Boland 3/46).
- The big fish, Virat Kohli (49), has been dismissed by Bolland. A ball pitched outside the off stump and Kohli went for a full-fledged drive only to find the outside edge of his bat. And what an extra-ordinary catch by Steve Smith. Next up was Ravindra Jadeja (0), who couldn't even open his account and was edged to the keeper off Boland. India in deep deep trouble here.
It's the biggest occasion of the Ultimate Test. No misadventures on the pitch, ball not doing enough, pitch too is not as lively as it was earlier. Will chase-master Virat Kohli can weave his magical wand and Rahane replicate what he did in the first innings? We'll wait see as the final day beckons.
Earlier yesterday
A focussed Virat Kohli stood between Australia and World Test Championship mace as India require another 280 runs to create history on what promises to be an intriguing final day of the summit clash. Kohli was batting on 44 off 60 balls and had Ajinkya Rahane (20 batting) for company during a stand of 71 for the fourth wicket as India ended the fourth day on 164 for 3 in pursuit of world record chase of 444.
Having been set a mammoth target, India lost Shubman Gill (18 off 19) to a contentious catch before skipper Rohit Sharma (43 off 60) and Cheteshwar Pujara (27 off 47) brought about their own downfall to make it 93 for three in 31st over. Australia had declared their second innings at 270 for 8 midway into the afternoon session after an unbeaten 66 from Alex Carey.
Though the highest chase at The Oval is 263, Indian fans will not lose hope going into day five with Kohli and Rahane hardly facing any trouble with batting not looking so difficult on the penultimate day. The pitch continues to have variable bounce but played better than the first three days.
Kohli looked in sublime touch and used his strong wrists to play the flick between mid-wicket and mid-on off the Australian pacers. He also whipped Nathan Lyon (1/32) for a crisp on drive before leaning into a straight drive off Mitchell Starc towards the end of day's play. The Indian openers, Rohit and Gill, made a brisk start and were not afraid to go for their strokes against the formidable duo of Pat Cummins and Scott Boland.
However, at the stroke of tea, Scott Boland got one to bounce little extra from length and it flew from ball the shoulder of Gill's bat only to be lapped up by a diving Cameron Green at gully. It was the second time in the game that Green took a screamer though replay suggested it was a close call with the ball very close to the ground.
Rohit got most of his runs playing the pull-shot. The partisan Indian crowd really got going when he pulled Starc's second ball of his opening for a six over fine-leg. Lyon was brought into the attack in the 20th over break the stand between Rohit and Pujara and he did exactly that.
Bowling around the wicket, Lyon bowled a full one around Rohits's pads and the India skipper went for the sweep shot only to miss it. Rohit reviewed the leg before call unsuccessfully. Next to depart was Pujara, who played an uncharacteristic shot a non-existent ramp shot off Cummins, to get caught behind. Pujara too had played some confident strokes in his 47-ball effort.
Rahane, who did not take the field in Australia's second innings to protect his bruised finger, looked comfortable in the middle. In the first session, India picked up a couple of wickets but Australia chugged away to take extend their overall lead to 374 runs after reaching 201 for 6 at lunch. Australia had to battle hard to get 78 runs in 26 overs from the morning session. On the hottest morning of the game, the pitch continued to play plenty of tricks with both seamers and spinners being in business.
Australia, who resumed the day at 123 for four, lost Marnus Labuschagne (41 off 126) in the third over of the day. The Aussie batter was not able to add to his overnight score as he edged a beauty from Umesh Yadav (2/32 in 12 overs) that pitched around off-stump and nipped away. Considering the ball was 44 overs old, Umesh and Shami started the proceedings for India looking for reverse swing in dry and hot conditions.
The ball has been taking off or skidding through from a particular spot on length from the pavilion end and that kept the batters guessing on Saturday. Mohammed Siraj, who has troubled the Aussie batters the most in the game, got one to kick off the from the spot and hit Green's right shoulder.
Ravindra Jadeja (3/45 in 18 overs) was brought into the attack after eight overs and his tactics were pretty clear: get the ball to turn sharply from outside the leg stump. The ploy worked as Green, offered a big stride in order to play a forward defensive stroke but the ball bounced a tad more and hit the glove before bouncing on to hit the stumps.
