Oval: Scott Boland sparked a dramatic collapse as Australia hammered India by 209 runs to win the World Test Championship final at The Oval yesteray.

India, set a record 444 to win, resumed on 164-3. But they collapsed to 234 all out, losing seven wickets for 70 runs inside 24 overs before lunch on the fifth day.

Boland did the initial damage with two wickets in an over, including the prize scalp of Virat Kohli for 49, on his way to figures of 3-46 in 16 overs. Off-spinner Nathan Lyon (4-41) then polished off the tail as Australia captured the one major men's cricket title that had previously eluded them, with Pat Cummins's side now heading into next week's first Ashes Test against England in buoyant mood.

But this result left India, defeated by New Zealand in the inaugural 2021 WTC final in Southampton, still searching for the first piece of global silverware in a decade.

Australia were in charge of this final from early on with both player-of-the-match Travis Head (163) and star batsman Steve Smith (121) making hundreds in a first-innings total of 469 after India captain Rohit Sharma won the toss.

India were never on terms and they were left needing to make cricket history, with a target of 444 way in excess of the highest score made by any side to win in the fourth innings in 146 years of Test history -- the West Indies' 418-7 against Australia at St John's in 2003.

Published in The Daily National Courier, June, 12 2023

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