Australia secured a commanding 209-run victory over India in the World Test Championship (WTC) Final at The Oval, thus earning the title of World Test Champions.
The match witnessed stellar performances from Travis Head and Steve Smith, who scored superb centuries in the first innings to give Australia an early advantage.
Despite India’s valiant efforts to extend the match to a fifth day, they fell short of the monumental target set by Australia and were eventually bowled out for 234.
The Australian bowlers played a pivotal role in their team’s triumph, with Scott Boland initiating the breakthroughs by dismissing two Indian batsmen early on the final day. Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc also contributed to the wicket column as Australia swiftly dismantled the Indian batting lineup to clinch the World Test Championship title.
Throughout the WTC cycle, Australia exhibited their dominance, finishing at the top of the standings and qualifying for the highly-anticipated final against India with 11 wins from 19 matches. Nathan Lyon concluded the Test Championship campaign as the leading wicket-taker in the world.
In addition to their bowling prowess, Australia showcased exceptional batting performances throughout the WTC cycle. Four of their top six run-scorers, including Joe Root, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, and the first innings heroes Travis Head and Steve Smith, accumulated significant runs, with Khawaja and Labuschagne trailing only Root in terms of total runs scored.
India, despite their strong finish in the campaign, secured the second spot in the standings and qualified for the final against Australia in south London. However, this defeat marked their second loss in the two WTC Finals conducted since the inception of the tournament.
On the final day of the 2023 Final, with Australia requiring seven wickets to win and India needing 280 more runs, there was still hope for India as Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane resumed their innings.
However, Scott Boland’s delivery enticed Kohli into an unfortunate drive, resulting in a catch by Steve Smith. Boland struck again immediately, dismissing Ravindra Jadeja, while Mitchell Starc eventually removed Ajinkya Rahane. Wickets continued to tumble, and Australia wrapped up the match before lunch, with Nathan Lyon claiming four wickets to aid the victory.