WTC Final: Australia beat India by 209 runs, win maiden WTC title

Australia team celebrates after winning World Test Championship 2023 (Pic: AFP)

Australia won their maiden World Test Championship (WTC) title with a crushing 209-run victory over India on the fifth day of the summit clash here on Sunday.

This was India's second defeat in successive WTC finals after losing to New Zealand in 2021 in the inaugural edition.

India lost seven wickets for the addition of 70 runs on the final day.

Chasing an improbable target of 444, India resumed the match on Day 5 at 164/3. Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane continued their partnership and managed to add 15 runs before Virat Kohli was dismissed for 49. India encountered another blow as Ravindra Jadeja got dismissed in the same over.

K S Bharat then joined Rahane who played a couple of beautiful straight drives off Mitchell Starc to keep crowd going. Rahane (46) was dismissed in the 57^th over of the innings when India were at 212 runs.

Shardul Thakur lasted just five balls, lbw off Nathan Lyon, to make it 213 for seven. It seemed the match would last till lunch but the Indian tail made the task easier for the Australians and were bowled out in the extra half hour of play.

Scott Boland (3/46) was the best bowler on view as he removed Kohli and Jadeja in a single over to decisively end the contest and the rest was formality.

Nathan Lyon (4/41), however, had the best figures as he mopped up the tail in a jiffy.

Brief Score:

Australia 469 and 270/8 decl.

India 296 and 234 all out in 63.3 overs (Virat Kohli 49, Rohit Sharma 43, Ajinkya Rahane 43; Nathan Lyon 4/41, Scott Boland 3/46)

(With PTI inputs)

Also Read: WTC Final: Rohit & Co on back foot as they lose three wickets chasing 444-run target