World Test Championship: Australia beat India in final at The Oval

Australia won the World Test Championship by ruthlessly dismantling India connected the 5th time of the last astatine The Oval.

Kohli aimed astatine escaped thrust astatine Scott Boland, with Steve Smith taking a stunning drawback astatine 2nd slip. In the aforesaid over, Ravindra Jadeja edged Boland behind.

The crippled successful their grasp, Australia efficiently worked done the little bid earlier luncheon to disregard India for 234 and instrumentality triumph by 209 runs. Boland ended with 3-46, off-spinner Nathan Lyon 4-41.

They go the 2nd winners of the World Test Championship, pursuing New Zealand's occurrence 2 years ago.

It means Australia transportation the crown of being the champion Test squad successful the satellite into the astir eagerly-anticipated Ashes bid successful a generation.

The archetypal lucifer successful the five-Test bid against England begins astatine Edgbaston connected Friday.

• Reaction to Australia's triumph implicit India

Australia caput to Ashes arsenic satellite champions

Bar immoderate little moments of Indian defiance, Australia person been connected apical successful this last since aboriginal connected the archetypal time and are deserved winners.

Despite the mountainous task facing Kohli and India connected Sunday, their noisy fans had precocious levels of expectation, cheering each dot ball. When Kohli produced his fatal edge, the anticipation instantly drained from The Oval.

Indeed, by wrapping up triumph successful specified swift fashion, Australia avoided a sapping time successful the tract with the Ashes lone 5 days away.

This has been a ultimate objection of wherefore Australia volition airs specified a menace to Ben Stokes' England. Their mediate bid is formidable, gait bowling potent and spinner Lyon a changeless challenge. Their gaffe cordon misses little, too.

Still, England volition person seen weaknesses. Openers David Warner and Usman Khawaja person mediocre records successful this country, determination are questions implicit Australia's back-up accelerated bowling and besides their corporate temperament erstwhile nether pressure.

Though yet won by a ample margin, this was an fantabulous final, afloat of high-intensity Test cricket. The anticipation is the strength volition lone turn travel Friday successful Birmingham.

Boland breaks India resistance

Boland made a stunning commencement to his vocation arsenic a 32-year-old successful the past Ashes 18 months agone and his accuracy, relentlessness and seam question person him primed to marque a large interaction this clip around.

Kohli had made a calm, assured commencement erstwhile Boland dragged him into driving astatine a wide one. The heavy borderline flew to the close of 2nd gaffe Smith, who took a spectacular drawback successful some hands with his assemblage parallel to the ground.

Two balls later, Jadeja's nick was audible astir the ground. KS Bharat could person fallen to his archetypal delivery, lone for a spitting deflection disconnected the mitt to balloon implicit archetypal slip.

Ajinkya Rahane remained, until 1 thrust excessively galore astatine Mitchell Starc ended his absorption connected 46. Shardul Thakur played each astir Lyon to beryllium limb earlier and Umesh Yadav was bounced retired by Starc.

Bharat's swipe to beryllium caught and bowled by Lyon delayed the luncheon break, allowing clip for past antheral Mohammed Siraj to reverse-sweep Lyon to point.

Australia embraced connected the field, the Test mace and $1.6m (£1.27m) successful their possession. They present acceptable their sights connected cricket's oldest and astir storied prize.

India's hold goes on

India person present been beaten successful some World Test Championship finals. The powerhouse of planetary cricket, it is bonzer they person not won a satellite rubric successful immoderate format since 2011.

They tin rightly constituent to the lack of cardinal players done wounded - KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant were each absent astatine The Oval.

There volition beryllium questions implicit their determination to omit off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, ranked arsenic the world's fig 1 bowler.

In reality, the crippled was decided by Australia racking up 327-3 aft being asked to bat connected time 1 past blowing distant the India apical bid connected time two. India did good to combat backmost and widen the contention arsenic acold arsenic they did.

India's formidable grounds astatine home, wherever they person not mislaid a bid since 2012, means they are ever apt to execute good successful the Test Championship - they volition beryllium favourites to scope the last astatine Lord's successful 2025.

Before then, attraction volition firmly beryllium connected the 50-over World Cup successful India successful October and November this year, a aureate accidental to extremity their agelong trophy drought.