IND vs AUS, WTC Final: India lose World Test Championship for 2nd time, Australia win the mace

Australia add the only missing silverware to their overflowing trophy cabinet.

India lose another WTC final they came to.

Final and India are surely not a match made in heaven.

India's downfall began soon after Virat Kohli and Jadeja were dismissed in the same over just 35 mins into the game on Day 5.

Boland was the pick of the bowler who proved to be dangerous throughout the final.

Siraj brings out the reverse-sweep to a length ball and hits it straight to backward point. 

But Boland takes the catch to wrap up the proceedings. 

Siraj c Boland b Lyon 1(6)

Srikar Bharat looked to slog across the line trying to go over mid-wicket. 

But he swung hard and skies it up in the air off the top-edge. 

Lyon moves to his left, settles under it and gobbles it up. 

Srikar Bharat c and b Lyon 23(41) [4s-2]

Thakur reviews but it looks to be out. 

The ball spun in from a length after drifting away and beats the defensive inside edge of Thakur.

No bat involved as confirmed by UltraEdge. 

Ball-tracking shows it's plumb! Three reds. 

Thakur lbw b Lyon 0(5)

Rahane sees the line outside off and throws his hands at it for a drive.

However, he nicks off and it is an easy catch for the keeper. 

Rahane c Carey b Starc 46(108) [4s-7]

India are bascially giving away the victory to the Aussies on the final day! 

Jadeja is drawn into the drive and the edge is found.

The ball goes straight into the hands of the keeper. 

India have lost half their side and their hopes of saving this Test is also losing.

Jadeja c Carey b Boland 0(2)

That's a stunner, this time by Smith!

Kohli went with hard hands on the drive but instead got a thick edge.

It went flying to the right of second slip and Smith takes a fine catch. 

Kohli c Smith b Boland 49(78) [4s-7]

Day four comes to an end and with one day left this is the equation - 

Australia need 7 wickets | India need 280 runs.

Virat Kohli (44) and Ajinkya Rahane (20) are at the crease.

Rohit came in and started on a positive note despite losing Gill early.

Gill's wicket will be controversial for a long long time. Pujara played a fluke shot and got himself out.

But Kohli and Rahane have put on a 71-run partnership at Stumps.

Pujara was arching back and then tried to play the shot which was not needed.

All he managed was a faint edge through to the keeper. 

Pujara c Carey b Cummins 27(47) [4s-5]

Rohit was given out and he reviews it. 

No bat involved and UltraEdge confirms it. 

Ball-tracking showed the ball pitched on middle and is hitting off, that's plumb and Rohit is OUT. 

Rohit lbw b Lyon 43(60) [4s-7 6s-1]

Crowd unhappy and booing the third umpire!

After the catch was taken, Gill stayed at the crease and the umpires sent it upstairs to check for a clean catch. 

Green took a one handed catch with his left hand. 

His hand goes down and touches the ground because of the force of the ball but the umpire believed Green's fingers was underneath it. 

But again, this camera angle does not look great. He's made his decision. OUT flashes on the big screen and Gill has to go. 

Shubman Gill c Green b Boland 18(19) [4s-2]

The target for India is 444, with a total of 137 overs!

Australia after lunch made sure to get quick runs and managed to do so thanks to Starc and Carey. 

The two added 93 for the seventh wicket in 120 balls.

Cummins throws his bat at it, slices it off the outside half and Axar Patel - the sub fielder - takes it comfortably at cover. 

Cummins c (sub)Axar b Shami 5(5) [4s-1]

Starc swung his bat hard to go over mid-on. 

But he got a thick outside edge as the ball seamed away and Kohli took a sharp catch to his left at first slip. 

Starc c Kohli b Shami 41(57) [4s-7]

Fifty for Carey! 

He reached the milestone by knocking a full ball to long-on.

Green did not need to play at that, but he didn't get a big enough stride to pad it away. 

The ball went past the front-pad, clipped his gloves and deflected onto the back-thigh and then bounced back onto the stumps.

Green b Jadeja 25(95) [4s-4]

Umesh Yadav strikes early on Day 4!

Labuschagne looked to defend but the ball flies off the outside edge to first slip where Pujara takes it awkwardly. 

Labuschagne c Pujara b Umesh Yadav 41(126) [4s-4]

Australia started Day 3 on a bang as Boland castled Bharat off the very second ball of the day. 

However, Rahane and Shardul Thakur stitched a spirited century stand. 

Despite the lower-order fight from India, the Aussies got a healthy first innings lead of 173 runs. 

India, who came in the field, saw Siraj strike early by removing Warner. Khawaja was sent back by Umesh Yadav.

Smith stitched a fifty runs partnership with Labuschagne but he fell to Jadeja trying to slog one wildly. 

Jadeja then removed the other centurion Head as well.

Marnus and Green played till the Stumps.

Jadeja has removed both the centurions of the first innings!

After he was dropped by Umesh Yadav, Jadeja made sure not to depend on the fielders and caught him.

Head stood in disbelief as he had got down on one leg to slap it through the covers but handed it to Jadeja back.

Head c and b Jadeja 18(27) [6s-2]

Smith dances down the track but does not get close to the pitch of the ball.

He tries to slog it over mid-on but balloons it up a long way in the air and Thakur runs to his right to take it. 

Smith c Thakur b Jadeja 34(47) [4s-3]

Umesh strikes and picks up his first wicket of the match!

Khawaja went after the ball and played a loose drive. But he only nicked it to Bharat. 

Khawaja c Srikar Bharat b Umesh Yadav 13(39) [4s-2]

Siraj provides the early breakthrough once again for India!

Warner was shaping for the back-foot cover-drive but he ended but getting a thick outside edge.

Bharat does well to dive across and in front of first slip, gets his gloves under and holds on. 

Warner c Srikar Bharat b Siraj 1(8)

Australia have a healthy lead of 173!

India's innings saw two Mumbaikars - Rahane and Thakur - stitch a century partnership. 

At 152/6, India were in trouble but the two made sure to give some hope the the Indian fans.

Cummins broke the partnership in the second over post lunch after Green took a screamer. 

Thakur hung around and notched up his third fifty at the Oval in his third innings but was soon sent back.

Shami added 13 runs but it was not enough.

Shami goes for the pull but it brushes his glove and Carey gather it cleanly after moving to his left. 

Shami c Carey b Starc 13(11) [4s-2]

End of a fighting knock from Thakur!

He goes for an uppish drive but gets an outside edge. 

Thakur c Carey b Green 51(109) [4s-6]

Fifty for Shardul Thakur! 

He has brought up his third half-century in as many innings at the Kennington Oval. 

He get a huge roar from the crowd and he raises his bat.

Umesh Yadav stayed in his crease to defend but he is beaten on the outside edge. 

The ball hits the top of off and middle. 

Umesh Yadav b Cummins 5(11) [4s-1]

Green pulls off a screamer and Cummins finally gets the wicket of Rahane! 

Rahane punches the ball away from his body but gets a thick outside edge. 

Green flies to his right at gully and sticks his right hand out to take a one-handed stunner. 

The 109-run stand has been broken! 

Rahane c Green b Cummins 89(129) [4s-11 6s-1]

Rahane gets to 5000 Test runs 

He and Thakur are keeping India's hopes alive. 

Rahane smashes a SIX and brings up his fifty, 26th in Tests.

He raises his bat and enjoys the crowds cheers.

The ball went right through Bharat's defence and rattled the stumps!!

The ball found a way to sneak through and crash into the top of middle and Bharat lasts just one ball on Day 3. 

Srikar Bharat b Boland 5(15)

The 71-run stand has been broken!

Jadeja presses forward to defend but the ball turns away to catch the outside edge. 

Jadeja c Smith b Lyon 48(51) [4s-7 6s-1]

India are in serious trouble now!!

Kohli clips the ball and it goes towards Smith at second slip. 

Nothing much Kohli could've done here.

A fourth batter falls in between 10 and 15. 

Kohli c Smith b Starc 14(31) [4s-2]

Pujara does not really cover the off-stump and lets the ball go.

Green on a celebratory run and India have been rocked on the second afternoon. 

Pujara b Green 14(25) [4s-2]

Shubman Gill stands shocked as he does not know what happened. 

He left a straight delivery from Scott Boland and the ball pitched just outside off and nips in to hit the stumps.

Shubman Gill b Boland 13(15) [4s-2]

The ball raps Rohit on the pads as he missed his leg side clip. 

The ball is struck in front of middle on the pads and he is given out.

He has a talk with Gill but decides against the review. 

Rohit lbw b Cummins 15(26) [4s-2]

Australia has posted 469 - a big total on the board. Travis Head and Steve Smith did the bulk of the heavy work as they both notched up their respective tons and stitched a mammoth 285-run stand.

India were made to toil hard on Day 1 and it continued on Day 2 as well but the Men in Blue picked four wickets in the morning session and removed the last three Australian wickets in the first hour of the middle session. 

Alex Carey scored a handy 48 before perishing to Jadeja. A spirited performance from Siraj who claimed four wickets and in the process picked up his 50th Test wicket as well. 

50th Test wicket for Siraj!!!

The slower ball on a shortish length wide of off and Cummins flays at it. 

However, he hits it straight to Rahane at deep-ish extra cover. 

This is his 100th catch in Tests. 

Cummins c Rahane b Siraj 9(34)

Lyon swung wildly as he looked to go over mid-on but instead gets beaten for pace. 

The ball goes past the inside edge and crashes into the off-stump. 

Lyon b Siraj 9(25) [4s-1]

Carey missed the reverse-sweep and there's a loud appeal for lbw.

The OUT signal was not given and India goes upstairs. 

No bat/glove involved and the same has been confirmed by UltraEdge. 

Ball-tracking shows it's three reds! 

A successful review by India. 

Carey lbw b Jadeja 48(69) [4s-7 6s-1]

Comes in as a sub and makes an impact!

A direct hit by Axar and he found Starc short. 

It was some stunning fielding by the Indian substitute as he picked it up one-handed to his left and then throws down the stumps at the bowler's end. 

Starc run out (Axar) 5(20)

Shardul does what he does best - get set batters out!

Smith could've let this go but he pokes at it and gets a big inside edge.

Smith throws his head up in depair as he walks away.

Smith b Thakur 121(268) [4s-19]

What a brilliant catch by Shubman Gill!!

Green is edged & gone!! India needed another wicket to build some pressure. 

Green c Shubman Gill b Shami 6(7) [4s-1]

A lucky dismissal but India will take it with both hands!! 

Head shuffled in to pull but could not connect as he swung through the ball as goes into the hands of Bharat. 

Head c Srikar Bharat b Siraj 163(174) [4s-25 6s-1]

150 for Travis Head!! and there is nothing stopping him.

7th Hundred for Steven Smith in England!!

He took off his helmet and raised his bat towards the pavillion. 

While India managed to take 3 wickets, Travis Head and Steve Smith took the game away from India.

Head already smashed his 100 and Smith is five runs away from his ton at the end of Day1.

It will be huge task on Team India on Day 2 to get early wickets and restrict the side to a resonable total.

6th Test hundred for Head! 

But this is his 1st away from home and 1st against India.

He removes his helmet and gets a hug from his partner. The dressing room rises and celebrates his ton.

50 for Smith as well - his 38th in Tests. 

Head hits a FOUR and the boundary brings up his fifty! 

He had the highest strike-rate during this WTC cycle and he is continuing to do the same in the final.

Shami strikes with his very first ball after lunch!

Labuschagne looked to drive and looked to go down the ground, but the ball jags in sharply and rattles the stumps. 

Labuschagne b Shami 26(62) [4s-3]

What a catch by Srikar Bharat!! 

Warner was looking to pull but did not go hard on the sjot. 

He just guided it down towards long leg and gets a thin edge.

Srikar Bharat does the rest, moving swiftly across to his left to take a good catch. 

Australia lose Warner at the stroke of lunch. 

Warner c Srikar Bharat b Thakur 43(60) [4s-8]

The ball could have been left alone, but Khawaja pushes at it and nicks off. 

Khawaja wasn't sure if he nicked and had a chat with Warner and decided not to review it. 

Khawaja c Srikar Bharat b Siraj 0(10)

A minute silence in remembrance of the victims of Odisha train accident.

India have won the toss and have opted to field.

India go with four seamers and one spinner - Jadeja. 

Teams:

India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Srikar Bharat(w), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj

Australia (Playing XI): David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey(w), Pat Cummins(c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland.

IND vs AUS, WTC Final: What if the rains ruin the World Test Championship final in London?