India require 444 to win the ICC World Test Championship Final after Australia declared on 270/8 in the afternoon session of day four.
Should India reach their target then it will be the highest-ever successful fourth-innings chase to win a Test in the history of the game.
India will take some confidence from conditions that are good for batting, with the sun out and south London set to bask in the warmest temperatures that the English capital has seen so far this year.
Yet there’s a bit in the pitch for Australia’s bowlers too, with The Oval’s surface offering a hint of movement off the seam, some uneven bounce, and increasing turn as this game goes on.
Shardul Thakur spoke a good game when asked about a potential target following day three, telling reporters that India had it in them to chase down “450, maybe more”.
But Pat Cummins’ side will start the final innings of the WTC Final as clear favourites to be lifting the mace at some point over the next four and a bit sessions.
The day’s play began with Umesh Yadav taking the ball for the first spell in an unexpected tactical move from India, and the decision reaped rewards when the pacer found the edge of Marnus Labuschagne, with Cheteshwar Pujara holding on in the slips to send him back for 41.
India pushed and probed for wickets as Australia built a sizeable lead thanks to a partnership worth 43 between Alex Carey and Cameron Green took the sting out of India through the first hour.
But the excellent Ravindra Jadeja made it two wickets in the session when he removed Green in unusual fashion.
Carey and Mitchell Starc upped the run rate in the half hour before the interval, and a lead of 374 prompted thoughts about a declaration.
Runs flowed fast after lunch, as Carey reached a fine half-century and Starc had some fun at the other end.
The pair put on 93 runs in 120 balls before Starc got a touch on a Shami bouncer to send it through to the slips and depart for a lively 41.
Cummins opted against taking the declaration at that stage, coming out to the middle to heap a bit more onto the required total.
But the declaration didn’t come much later as he skied a catch to Axar Patel at point.
Australia had resumed on 123/4 on day four of the ICC World Test Championship Final, 296 ahead and four wickets down in their second dig.
With Labuschagne and Green heading out to the middle for the restart, Australia still had batting to work with, but a decent showing from India on day three meant that the match wasn’t quite decided quite yet.
It was Shardul and Ajinkya Rahane who had given India some momentum on day three, putting on a quickfire century stand in the morning session despite being on the receiving end of a barrage from the Aussie attack, most notably captain Pat Cummins.
Australia had resumed on 123/4 on day four of the ICC World Test Championship Final, 296 ahead and four wickets down in their second dig.
With Labuschagne and Green heading out to the middle for the restart, Australia still had batting to work with, but a decent showing from India on day three meant that the match wasn’t quite decided quite yet.
It was Shardul and Ajinkya Rahane who had given India some momentum on day three, putting on a quickfire century stand in the morning session despite being on the receiving end of a barrage from the Aussie attack, most notably captain Pat Cummins.
