IND vs AUS LIVE score Day 5, WTC Final updates: India 175/3 (44 overs); Kohli, Rahane steady in record run-chase

Cummins continues. Rahane pushes one behind point for a single. Back of a length on off and Kohli hops and defends it back. Kohli now guides one behind point for a single. Cummins goes short but this is angling down leg and Rahane just ducks under it. FOUR! This was lucky! Short, Rahane tried to evade it late and it went off the edge to the boundary behind.

Boland will continue. Almost chopped on! Rahane gets an inside edge driving this back of a length delivery and almost knocks his stumps over. Rahane steers to third-man with an open face for a single. Kohli defends a length ball outside off solidly. A huge LBW appeal as Kohli shuffles across a bit to flick this full delivery on the pads. Umpire is unmoved and Cummins doesn’t review it. Just a single from the over.

Cummins from the other end. Kohli takes a single off the first ball as he pushes a length delivery to midwicket. Guided by Rahane behind point for a couple. Steered again by Rahane behind point for one more.

The Australian team breaks out of the huddle as Kohli and Rahane make their way to the middle. It all comes down to this day! Will India create history in chasing down the biggest total ever and end its trophy drought or will Australia become the first team to win all possible ICC titles? Boland to start the proceedings with the ball. Ominous signs for India as the first ball of the day keeps low outside off and beats Rahane. Back of a length on off-stump next up and Rahane defends it on the front-foot. Fuller this time and Rahane defends again on the front-foot. A couple of neat drives by Rahane off the middle of the bat but no runs yet. Maiden over to start the day.

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The weather has behaved so far in the Ultimate Test but there is forecast of rain later in the day in London. Currently, it is 22 degrees Celsius and sunny.

• 588 - England and India - Manchester, 1936
• 522 - England and South Africa - Lord’s, 1924
• 509 - Sri Lanka and Bangladesh - Colombo, 2002
• 508 - England and South Africa - The Oval, 1935
• 506 - Pakistan and England - Rawalpindi, 2022

• 459 - Australia and New Zealand - Brisbane, 2001
• 458 - Australia and West Indies - Sydney, 1969
• 447 - England and Australia - The Oval, 2013

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WTC Final: Correct decision was made, says Ponting on Green’s catch to dismiss Gill

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting reckons the catch taken by all-rounder Cameron Green to dismiss Indian opener Shubman Gill was a “correct decision” by the third umpire.

• 404 - Australia v England - Target: 404 in Leeds, 1948
• 344 - West Indies v England - Target: 342 at Lord’s 1984
• 325 - India v Australia - Target: 328 at Gabba, 2021
• 317 - Australia v India - Target: 343 in Perth, 1977
• 317 - West Indies v England - Target: 322 in Leeds, 2017
• 311 - England v Australia - Target: 315 in Leeds, 2001
• 302 - Pakistan v Sri Lanka - Target: 302 in Sharjah, 2014

India faces a Herculean task, but there is hope yet. To claim the ICC World Test Championship title, the side will have to record the highest chase in history.

With 164 runs in the bag in pursuit of the 444-run target, India has put itself in contention. Virat Kohli (44 batting, 60b, 7x4) and Ajinkya Rahane (20 batting, 59b, 3x4) believe in the dream. On Sunday, the final day, 280 runs stand between India and a long-awaited ICC trophy.

The pitch at The Oval can spring a few awkward questions to batters, but overall, it is nowhere near a minefield. A steady, determined approach is all the batters need to get the job done.

Kohli looked in good nick, placing the straight drives and flicks to perfection. Rahane, the hero of the first innings, was

characteristically calm and composed at the crease. The Mumbai batter is batting with tape on his injured finger, but has not shown any signs of discomfort.

The India essay began with some drama. Opener Shubman Gill flashed at a ball outside off, getting an edge to gully. Cameron Green stuck his left hand out to latch on, but his hands brushed the ground as he fell. By conventional logic, the fact that Green had his fingers under the ball would tilt the argument in favour of a clean catch, but in this case, it was not clear cut.

The television umpire, Richard Kettleborough, declared Gill out. Captain and partner Rohit Sharma voiced his displeasure, and the crowd briefly directed chants of “cheat, cheat” in Green’s direction.

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Rohit’s dismissal sometime later came as a huge blow. Rohit (43, 60b, 7x4, 1x6) settled in by pulling all short deliveries in great style. He was confident enough to walk down to Scott Boland, stroking one to the mid-wicket boundary.

When off-spinner Nathan Lyon was brought on, Rohit was expected to dominate. Instead, he completely missed a sweep and was struck on the pads in front of the middle stump. Australia was relieved, as a free-flowing Rohit could have made any target seem gettable.

Cheteshwar Pujara let himself down with a poor shot. Pujara brushed an upper-cut to the wicketkeeper when he would have been better served leaving it well alone.

Having snapped up Rohit and Pujara in the space of six balls, the Australians were over the moon.

Earlier, Alex Carry (66 n.o., 105b, 8x4) and Mitchell Starc (41, 57b, 7x4) put on a 93-run seventh-wicket partnership to keep the Indians at bay. The duo scored at a good rate, as the lead continued to bulge. Australia took the bold decision to declare well before Tea, leaving itself a little over four sessions to bowl India out.

Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja posed the biggest threat, as he was primed to use the rough outside the left-hander’s off stump. Jadeja was on the money, taking three wickets.

- Ashwin Achal

Day 5 of the India vs Australia World Test Championship final will be shown live on Star Sports and streamed live on Disney+Hotstar from 3 PM IST.