Rahane and Thakur leads India's resistance but Australia remains on top.

 India knew they could only hope to survive when they started the third day's sessions, and they succeeded in doing so. However, by stumps, Australia's hold had become tighter.

Match Summary:

Australia 123 for 4 (Labuschagne 41*, Jadeja 2-25) and 469 lead India 296 (Rahane 89, Shardul 51, Cummins 3-83) by 296 runs

The third day of the WTC final saw India hold on admirably thanks to valiant runs from Ajinkya Rahane and Shardul Thakur and stronger bowling than in the first innings, but by the day's conclusion it was clear they had lost too much ground on the first two days. They started the day 318 behind after losing half of their team, miraculously managed to close the gap to 173, but concluded the day 296 behind with six Australian wickets still intact.

India went into every session of the day knowing that the best they could hope for was to survive. Despite managing to avoid being struck by a storm, Australia advanced steadily in the lengthy final session to leave India somewhere between just alive and out of the game.

In his second ball of the day, Scott Boland bowled KS Bharat after starting metronomically and slipping under his inside edge. Rahane and Thakur, the two batters, were then subjected to unbalanced pitch bounce from Pat Cummins and Boland. They were swift and relentless for the better part of the opening hour. Both of Thakur's forearms had to be padded, and he had to take a painkiller.

However, Australia's performance in the field was far from flawless. In the end, Cummins had six no-balls and three of them resulted in wickets. He missed out on Thakur's wicket on day three after Rahane and Ravindra Jadeja on day two. The slip cordon saw three catches fall. Mitchell Starc fought to maintain composure.

Rahane and Thakur started to score often once they neutralised the threat posed by Cummins and Boland. By lunchtime, Thakur was 14 shy of a third fifty in three innings at The Oval, and Rahane was 11 short of what would have been a memorable century on Test homecoming. By this point, the 60-over old ball had ceased acting up, and India had a strong chance of drastically reducing the 209-run deficit before the second new ball.

However, after lunch, Rahane chased a widish delivery and edged it, only for Cameron Green to make an amazing catch in the gully. Even though Thakur was able to reach his half-century, the next three wickets could only add 35.

India's bowling was more controlled than it was in the opening innings. After cutting David Warner off early, Mohammed Siraj in particular got uneven bounce. On hit, the bat twice flew out of Marnus Labuschagne's hands, just as it had with Thakur before. He was once carried away. Usman Khawaja wafted at a wide delivery, giving Umesh Yadav his first wicket of the game, which let him capitalise on the pressure.

With Labuschagne struggling, India would have hoped for additional gains at 24 for 2, but Steven Smith played an easy knock to set India back. Smith, who had prepared himself for a lengthy dig in the first innings, suddenly sought out early runs, scoring 12 runs off of his first seven balls. Smith appeared to be on track for a huge, simple knock as India's second line of quick bowlers started to bowl with wide-open fields.

The third time during the Test, Smith then attempted to attack Jadeja. He avoided mid-off on the first two occasions, in the first innings, but this time the surface had enough grip to allow him to take the edge for point and make the catch. It was a relief for India to dismiss Smith for just 34 runs as he was batting with a control rate of more than 90%.

Travis Head was then struck out by Jadeja using the rough outside the left-hand batter's off stump. Standing far outside the crease to face the Indian quicks, Labuschagne never seemed to be in complete control. With C Green on other hand, he ended the day with 41 not out of 118 deliveries to deny India any further success.

Australia had already accomplished half of their task, and they would like to give their fast bowlers at least 24 hours to rest before making their final championship drive.

Seamers build pressure after Smith's and Head's ton to give Australia control

Match summary:

India 151 for 5 (Jadeja 48, Boland 1-29, Lyon 1-4) trail Australia 469 (Head 163, Smith 121, Siraj 4-108) by 318 runs.

 As their team took control of the World Test Championship final, Australia's bowlers demonstrated to India exactly where they had gone wrong on day one. Their quicks settled into the ideal length on a still-helpful Oval wicket. India's response to their first-innings total of 469 was brought to 151 for 5 by stumps on day two thanks to Australia.

The majority of the damage was done by the fast bowlers, but Nathan Lyon also claimed a wicket from a dipping, twisting offbreak that had India's highest scorer, Ravindra Jadeja, nicking to first slip around 15 minutes before stumps, ending a 71-run fifth-wicket stand with Ajinkya Rahane. The wicket and the way it was taken may have heated up the discussion regarding India's selection and R Ashwin's absence from the lineup against an Australian lineup that featured many left-handed hitters.

Despite this, India's main problems were not caused by their selection of four quick bowlers, but rather by the way they bowled. To constantly test the stumps and put all ways of dismissal into play on a pitch that bounced more than the ordinary Indian surface, they had to pitch the ball fuller than usual. They didn't do this often enough, and even though their bowlers rallied to take 7 for 142 in the early half of day two, it may have been too little, too late because they had allowed Australia to easily cruise to 327 for 3 on day one.

On a field that was now starting to show fractures all over its surface after being bowled out nearly exactly halfway through the day's play, Australia's fast bowlers stepped out and demonstrated how it's done. While Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill got off to a brisk start and Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins routinely overpitched at the beginning of their new-ball stints, it only seemed a matter of time before the quicks figured out the right length - full but not driveable.

The final ball of the sixth over was hammered by Cummins, who nipped it in and trapped Rohit in front of it. Then Scott Boland, a bowler seemingly made in a lab to bowl in these conditions, bowled a wicked in dipper to follow nine probing dot balls to the two openers that Gill fatally shouldered arms to.

Before Cameron Green produced a replica of the Boland ball that had bowled Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli put on 20 each before tea, looking in fine form but always cautious of the seam movement and occasionally uneven bounce that characterised this surface. India was 50 for 3 as Pujara replicated Gill's response, with all three of their top batsmen being bowled or lbw.

When Starc returned, he joined the fray with a vicious ball to Kohli that was slanted across from a left-arm over and took off from a length, making it 71 for 4. Pressing forward, Kohli was unable to safely navigate the situation and could only glove the ball to second slip.

If Cummins had not stepped out when he bowled a peach that straightened from that ideal fullish length to beat Rahane's outside edge and strike his back pad roughly in front of off stump, Rahane might have fallen shortly after. Rahane examined the play after being called for it on the pitch, and the no-ball was confirmed by the replays. Ball-tracking data revealed two reds and the line-of-impact call decision of the umpire.

Over the past two English summers, batting against the old Dukes ball has been much simpler than it has been against the new one, with Nos. 5 and 6 here since the beginning of 2022 averaging a world-leading 53.08 while Nos. 1 to 4 average 31.28 — they've only performed worse in the West Indies (31.00) during this time. India's fifth-wicket combination appeared to be much more at ease than their top-order counterparts after a nervous early period that included that near lbw call and two leading edges from Jadeja.

Jadeja, who benefited from Australia's bowlers, particularly Starc, routinely overpitching to him, sped along at over a run per ball, while Rahane, who was playing Test cricket for the first time since January 2022, clicked along more slowly but still appeared to be just as fluid. India would have hoped that their partnership would last till stumps, but Lyon dashed those expectations when he hit with his ninth delivery of the game.

With Steven Smith five runs shy of reaching his 31st Test hundred and Travis Head four short of reaching 150, the day had started out clear and sunny. They promptly reached their respective milestones, with Mohammed Siraj giving Smith two straight half-volleys in the morning's first over to give India a concerning start to the day.

However, things got better as Head's body was repeatedly targeted by short balls, and on 163, the left-hander gloved Siraj down the leg side. The No. 6 Green was then sent back by Mohammed Shami, who produced a stunning shot by slanting a full ball in from beyond the crease to deflect a careless drive away from the body.

The next to go was Smith, who continued to play for 121 by pushing away from his body at a harmless Shardul Thakur away-curler. India had scored three runs before Australia hit 400, and they may have thought they could end their innings soon after, but Alex Carey's counterattacking 48 pushed the score above 450. Carey rode his luck until falling in a recognisable way, lbw when attempting a reverse-sweep off a stump-to-stump delivery from Jadeja. This was especially true against Umesh Yadav, who struck Carey's bat repeatedly in a brief stretch after lunch.

In the end, Siraj was India's most effective bowler, finishing with figures of 4 for 108, while Shami and Thakur both claimed two wickets. That was the first Australian wicket to fall to spin.

WTC Final: Two golden generations will have their final opportunity to win a Test world championship.

With only few hours left in 2nd WTC final, here is brief look on the performance of two teams in this WTC cycle.

Introduction:

Is it the biggest cricket game in the world? Or is it a final that ought to be more than a one-off match but isn't because of the limitations of a calendar that pushes Test cricket to the periphery, awkwardly sandwiched between two events that are, in starkly different ways, more important, and tacked on to the conclusion of an exclusionary league that isn't even a proper league, in which nearly every team plays fewer Test matches than they did?

Maybe both are the answer. Despite its problems, the World Test Championship final will still be watched by 22 players. For them, it might be a turning point in their careers, and it could end with happiness or sorrow that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives.

Given that it puts the two top teams from the previous two years of Test cricket against one another as well as perhaps from the previous ten years, this final feels extra significant.

India dominated Test cricket throughout the 2019–21 cycle, losing just one series to New Zealand before falling to the same team in the final. All of their main players were at or near their prime during this time. They had to navigate a more difficult path to the final this time, and some of the legendary players in their ranks have lost some of their former invulnerability, but they are still a fantastic squad that will cherish the opportunity to reverse what New Zealand did to them two years ago.

Australia will feel they should have qualified for that 2021 final but were left out due of an excessive penalty that put them in third instead of second on the points standings. But now that they're here, at the top of the league table, they have the advantage right away. They are an all-weather team, much like India, although they perform at their best when the pace rather than the spin is well favoured. More importantly, they start the game with fewer important players injured. Josh Hazlewood will be missed by Australia, while Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah, two once-in-a-generation talents, will be absent from India. India's depth of skill and their continued dominance are both merits of their system.

The players that populate the two sides of this final might also be making their final flourish. As well as R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, and Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami will soon join Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, and David Warner in reaching the age of 33. With the exception of captains Cummins and Rohit, who will both play their 50th Test on Wednesday, they have all played more than 50 matches.

So, two golden generations are competing for what might be their final chance at a Test world championship. Some dreams are destined to come true, while others are destined to fail.

Last five completed matches:

(Most recent first)

Australia:

 D W L L D

India:

 D L W W W

Players to watch:

Pat Cummins

In February and March, Pat Cummins underwent a trying tour of India, both on and off the pitch. He played in two Tests, taking three wickets at an average of 39.55, but left the tour in the middle to care for his gravely ill mother, who passed away during the fourth Test. Australia rallied from 2-0 down to win the third Test and tie the fourth while he was away, and interim captain Steven Smith received high plaudits for his tactical prowess. Although Smith underlined that this was now "Pat's team" and stated that he no longer had full-time leadership aspirations, Cummins' captaincy may still come under examination at The Oval, where he'll also want to reinforce his credentials as the best fast bowler in the world, particularly when Hazelwood is injured.

M Shami

Although Bumrah might disagree with Cummins' assertion that he is the world's finest fast bowler, he won't participate in this championship match. India loses their primary strike weapon when Bumrah is absent, and his absence may also throw off the balance of their attack because it will be more difficult for them to select four fast bowlers even if the situation calls for it. Mohammed Shami must therefore provide all of his expertise and poise to the game. India will be hoping he can find a method at The Oval to not just thrash the bat frequently but also find its edge. His record in England is deceptive with 38 wickets in 13 Tests at a 40.52 average because he usually bowled brilliantly there without experiencing a lot of luck.

Team News & Probable playing XI.

Australia: 

Australia's starting XI nearly chooses itself now that it has been confirmed that Scott Boland will replace the injured Hazlewood. Travis Head will shift back to No. 5 and allow David Warner, who missed the past two Tests in India with a fractured elbow, to resume playing as opener alongside Usman Khawaja as Peter Handscomb leaves the team following a stellar run as a horses-for-courses middle-order batter in India. David Warner missed the last two Tests in India due to the injury.

Probable playing XI: 

1. David Warner, 2. Usman Khawaja, 3. Marnus Labuschagne, 4. Steven Smith, 5. Travis Head, 6. Cameron Green, 7. Alex Carey (wk), 8. Pat Cummins (capt), 9. Mitchell Starc, 10. Nathan Lyon, 11. Scott Boland.

India:

For the first time since January 2022, Ajinkya Rahane will play in a Test match. Due to his experience, he is likely to replace the injured Sheyas Iyer at No. 5 ahead of Suryakumar Yadav. In the home series against Australia, KS Bharat's superior glovework gave him the edge over Ishan Kishan. However, in English conditions, where keepers spend much less time up to the stumps negotiating sharp turn and inconsistent bounce, India might be tempted to back Kishan because of his left-handedness and counterattacking abilities. They must decide whether to field four fast bowlers and just one spinner, Ravindra Jadeja, or whether to combine him with R Ashwin.

Probable playing XI:

1. Rohit Sharma (capt), 2. Shubman Gill, 3. Cheteshwar Pujara, 4. Virat Kohli, 5. Ajinkya Rahane, 6. Ravindra Jadeja, 7. KS Bharat/Ishan Kishan (wk), 8. R Ashwin/Shardul Thakur, 9. Umesh Yadav/Jaydev Unadkat, 10. Mohammed Shami, 11. Mohammed Siraj.

Pitch and Weather conditions.

Spin often plays a crucial role at The Oval. Since the start of 2012, during which time the ground has hosted 10 Tests, fast bowlers have averaged a collective 30.57 at The Oval and spinners 34.83. Of the English grounds that have hosted at least five Tests in this period, The Oval is where fast bowlers have achieved their worst collective average, while spinners have done better only at the Ageas Bowl (31.27) and Headingley (32.43).

These numbers, though, could have something to do with Oval Tests tending to take place in August and September, when the weather is warm and dry and the pitches have undergone wear and tear over the long English summer. The ground has never previously hosted a Test match as early as June.

In general, oval pitches have a lot of bounce, which could excite both quick and slow bowlers on either side and permit batsmen to play their shots if there isn't too much sideways movement.

The test match will begin with maximum temperatures in the low 20s Celsius, according to the forecast, which calls for a clear and sunny day. However, the scheduled fourth, fifth, and reserve days of Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, respectively, could see rain.

Past Statistics:

• India have defeated Australia in last four      test series two at home and two away, all by 2-1 margin.

• Australia (0.411) and India (0.400) have near-identical win-loss ratios at The Oval. Australia have won seven and lost 17 of their 38 Tests here, while India have won two and lost five of their 14.

• Virat Kohli is 21 short of becoming the fifth India batter to score 2000 Test runs against Australia. Sachin Tendulkar (3630), VVS Laxman (2434), Rahul Dravid (2143) and Cheteshwar Pujara (2033) are the others to have reached the mark.

• In three Tests at The Oval, Steven Smith has scored 391 runs at an average of 97.75, with two hundreds and an 80 in five innings.