Australia has set India a record 444-run target for victory in the World Test Championship final after Alex Carey’s classy half-century on day four at The Oval.
Carey scored an unbeaten 66 before Australian captain Pat Cummins declared the innings at 8-207, giving themselves 137 overs to knock over India and win the coveted WTC mace.
The highest successful run chase in Test history is 418, achieved by the West Indies against Australia in 2003.
India is currently 1-88, with captain Rohit Sharma (43*) and Cheteshwar Pujara (23*) unbeaten in the middle, after opener Subman Gill departed following an umpiring controversy.
MATCH CENTRE: Australia vs India, WTC day four scoreboard
India needed early wickets at The Oval on Saturday, and Umesh Yadav delivered. Labuschagne’s tentative forward press was edged to first slip, departing in the third over of the day without adding to his overnight total.
The pitch’s variable bounce reached extreme levels in the morning session — some deliveries ballooned off a good length while others bounced twice through to the wicketkeeper.
Green looked in deep trouble after fending towards mid-on and setting off for a suicidal run, but Mohammed Siraj fumbled and missed the potential run-out opportunity.
Runs were hard to come by for the young West Australian, scratching his way towards 25 (95) before forgetting to use his bat against Indian spinner Ravindra Jadeja. Green half-heartedly attempted to pad away a full delivery that spun sharply and struck his glove, rolling back onto his stumps.
Green goes white with nightmare leave | 00:29
Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey kept the scoreboard ticking over at the other end, bludgeoning a couple of gorgeous cover drives and respecting Jadeja’s accurate bowling.
The South Australian, who thankfully shelved the reverse-sweep, offered his first catching chance after the lunch break, but slip fielders Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara didn’t move, looking at each other as the ball flew between them for a boundary.
Mitchell Starc brought up the fifty-run partnership with Carey by slapping back-to-back boundaries against Yadav before the gloveman achieved his own half-century, reaching the minor milestone in 82 balls.
India’s frustration grew when Carey’s outside edge against Jadeja landed agonisingly short of first slip, racing away for a boundary to extend Australia’s lead beyond 400 and ensure only two results were possible.
After India took the second new ball, Starc smacked a pair of boundaries against Mohammed Shami before nicking behind for 41, ending his entertaining 93-run partnership with Carey.
Cummins waltzed out for a slog, declaring Australia’s innings to a close after he was caught by substitute fielder Axar Patel for 5.
Marnus abruptly woken up by wicket! | 00:34
India got its run chase off to a positive start, with captain Rohit Sharma and opening partner Shubman Gill cracking 23 runs from the first four overs.
To the surprise of many, Starc did not open the bowling, with Cummins instead throwing the fresh Dukes ball to Scott Boland. When Starc was introduced to the attack in the seventh over, Sharma hooked the left-armer’s second delivery over fine leg for six.
In the final over before tea, Cameron Green claimed his second stunning grab of the match to end Gill’s knock on 18, giving Boland his first scalp of the innings.
Green lunged low to his left at gully and plucked the Dukes ball inches from the turf, but umpires consulted third official Richard Kettleborough, Replays showed two fingers under the ball as the fielder’s hand scraped along the grass, and Gill was sent packing.
“Fingers underneath the ball. He he’s in full control,” Kettleborough said.
However, Sharma was not impressed with the decision, arguing with the umpires before returning to the sheds for tea. Chants of “cheat, cheat, cheat” echoed around the venue as Gill trudged off.
“Shocking decision by third umpire,” former Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal tweeted.
“It wasn’t a clear catch.”
Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara didn’t take their foot of the brakes after the tea interval, scoring at nearly six runs per over and targeting Starc’s wayward bowling. There were less demons in the pitch, allowing the Indian duo to trust the bounce and play their shots.
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