Double dose of Boland: Cult hero vanquishes Indian stars

The culmination of nearly two years of Test cricket will fittingly be decided on the final day of play, with India requiring 280 runs for victory and Australia needing seven wickets to claim the official mantle of the world’s best Test side.

Follow our coverage and analysis from the whole day’s play below.

8:00PM DOUBLE DOSE OF BOLAND: CULT HERO STARTS DAY FIVE OFF PERFECTLY

The Aussies were once again subject to a poor DRS review, as Marnus Labuschagne’s pleas from cover bringing about no success for Australia.

Their disappointment was short-lived however, with a screamer from Steve Smith dismissing Virat Kohli and silencing the pro-India crowd at The Oval.

The fun did not stop there, with the Victorian dismissing Ravindra Jadeja for a duck in the same over.

The Aussies are now in complete command at The Oval, with thunderstorms on the radar appearing to be their only roadblock to winning this Test Championship final.

WILL ‘SCARS’ OF BRISBANE PAST HAUNT AUSSIES AGAIN?

Much was made of Pat Cummins’ timing of his declaration on day four against India, including an interesting insight from the team’s former coach.

Justin Langer, who’s fallout with the team became its own story, gave his take on why the Aussies waited so long to declare, with Cummins choosing to bring himself out to bat in the second innings.

“There are some scars in this Australian cricket team from India in the last two series in Australia,” Langer said.

India have won the past two series’ in Australia, the last coming after a famous final-day chase led by Rishabh Pant to win at Australia’s fortress the Gabba.

Victory in that Test seemed almost as unlikely for India then as it does now, yet with Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane set at the crease, they are far from without a chance.

To win on this occasion, however, India will have to create Test match history.

Their target of 444, is 26 more than the record of 414, set by the West Indies against Australia in 2003.

Australia also conceded the second-highest chase ever, giving up a total of 414 to South Africa in 2008.

Perhaps that is why fast bowler Mohamed Shami spoke with such confidence after yesterday’s play.

“One hundred per cent, everyone believes that tomorrow we will win the match,” Shami said.

The stats may scream that Australia are in command, but it appears to not be that simple.

ALL CASH, NO CUPS: AWKWARD STAT DRIVING INDIA’S TEST FINAL MISSION

—Robert Craddock

Zero trophies in 10 years – this is the shocking statistic that provides both the carrot and stick for an Indian cricket side facing a Mt Everest climb against Australia at The Oval tonight.

Though India has become the financial powerhouse of world cricket, the game’s most influential nation by far and an almost unbeatable Test match force at home, there is one conspicuous gap in its resume, or should we say, its trophy cabinet.

It is simply that since a decade ago this month (June, 2013), when it won the ICC Champions Trophy in England, India it has failed to win a global cricket title in T20, 50-over or Test cricket.

India’s last World Cup success was the 2011 50-over World Cup, which it hosted (as it will again later this year).

That’s one of the reasons why India, which will resume on day five at The Oval needing 280 runs from their last seven wickets for victory in the World Test Championship against Australia, need a victory tonight.

Otherwise that nation will be 0-10 since its last ICC title, a cringe-worthy statistic for a country ruling the world in so many ways.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan did not mince words when reviewing India’s effort last year after it bowed out of the T20 World Cup in Australia in the semi-finals.

“Since winning the 50-over World Cup, what have they done? Nothing.’’ Vaughan wrote in The London Telegraph.

“India are playing a white-ball game that is dated and have done for years. India are the most underperforming white-ball team in history. Every player in the world who goes to the Indian Premier League says how it improves their game, but what have India ever delivered?“

For all of the IPL razzle and dazzle and dollar dominance, it is simply extraordinary that since India won the first World T20 title in 2007 it has failed to do so again despite the fact that Pakistan (2009), England (2010 and 2022), West Indies (2012 and 2016), Sri Lanka (2014) and Australia (2021) have claimed the crown.

It’s not as if India has performed poorly in bilateral tournaments for it has beaten Australia at its past two Test match series in Australia well as being nigh unbeatable at home.

The reasons why it not dominated global tournaments are not clear.

Among the suggestions have been that the Indians play so much they lack the razor sharpness for specific challenges, that they are more interested in the Indian Premier League than winning global titles, and that since MS Dhoni quit the captaincy they have lacked a truly unifying leader.

But the bottom line is they should be doing better, which adds an extra layer of pressure to the final day at The Oval.

Originally published as World Test Championship final: Live scores, news from day five at The Oval