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• India bid hit by stunning Cameron Green catch after Australia set record target

  Australia’s Cameron Green produced a sensational catch on the fourth afternoon of the World Test Championship final as India’s pursuit of a record fourth-innings chase suffered its first blow.

  Pat Cummins declared midway through the fourth afternoon at the Oval on 270 for eight, leaving more India needing an unprecedented 444 to win in just over four sessions.

  Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill made a fearless start as they began chipping away at their target but in the final over before tea, Scott Boland took the latter’s outside edge. Green flung his 6ft 6in frame low to his left to pull off a stunning one-handed take.

  The heavily partisan India-supporting crowd made it clear they felt the ball had been grounded and Gill should be reprieved, but there was little of substance to overturn the wicket and the TV umpire, Englishman Richard Kettleborough, took a long and deliberate look in slow motion before upholding the dismissal.

  There were loud jeers and boos, as well as some chants of “cheat”, from the stands, but there was no doubt that Green – who also claimed a stunner to dismiss Ajinkya Rahane on day three – had taken his country one step closer to the global crown.

  India will resume on 41 for one, knowing no team has ever scored more than 418 to win a Test in the fourth innings and no Indian side has ever bettered 406.

  Sharma appeared well in the mood to make a dent on those statistics, reaching 22 not out from 25 balls with three fours and one lavishly hooked six off Mitchell Starc.

  Australia had earlier progressed with relative serenity towards their declaration.

  Marnus Labuschagne failed to add to his overnight score of 41 before nicking Umesh Yadav to slip, and Green ground out a sedate 25 before diverting spinner Ravindra Jadeja into his own stumps as he ploughed away on a leg-stump line, but the runs kept flowing.

  Alex Carey banked some vital time in the middle ahead of the Ashes as he made an undefeated 66, while Starc swung the bat with freedom to make a lively 41.

  All eyes were on Cummins from the moment the advantage snaked past 400 and he finally obliged when he was eighth man out, thrashing Mohammed Shami into the on-side.

• Athanaze happy after debut half-century against UAE- “It was a really good experience”

  Ever since his exploits at the 2018 ICC Under-19 World Cup, Alick Athanaze was expected to transition well to the senior international level.

  In a tournament that included the likes of Shubman Gill, Prithvi Shaw and Harry Brook, Athanaze finished as the leading run-scorer with 418 runs in six matches, including two centuries and two fifties.

  Five years later, the 24-year-old was finally given a chance to perform for the West Indies on the biggest stage and he grabbed that chance with both hands.

  The left-hander opened the batting as the West Indies pursued 185 for victory in the third ODI against the UAE and played excellently, making a 45-ball 65 to top score.

  “It was a really good experience. I haven’t batted much in the night so it was a first for me, actually,” Athanaze said in a post-match interview.

  Athanaze also made history at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. He brought up his half-century off just 26 balls, equaling India’s Krunal Pandya for the fastest ODI fifty by a debutant ever.

  “Normally, that’s how I play in the powerplay. I always look to get the team off to a good start,” he said.

  “I was a bit nervous but I think they went away when I got my first runs,” Athanaze added.

  Athanaze also gave credit to the mentorship he has received from West Indies legend and current performance consultant, Brian Lara.

  “For me, it has been really good. Basically, what we spoke about was judging lengths and trying to get ahead of the bowler; try to think about what is to come and pre-meditate balls. It worked really nicely. I got myself into some good positions. It was good to bat out there tonight,” said Athanaze.

  Hopefully, this is the start of an excellent career in international cricket for the Dominican.

   

   

   

   

• Australia in total control against India at the Oval

  Australia continued their push towards victory in the World Test Championship final against India, taking their lead to 374 on the fourth morning at the Oval.

  Despite Shardul Thakur declaring that his side would back themselves to chase 450, the Test record fourth innings chase at Surrey’s home ground stands at 263, leaving Australia as huge favourites.

  At lunch Australia had moved to 201 for six, having scored 78 in the session for the loss of overnight pair Marnus Labuschagne and Cameron Green.

  Labuschagne, the world’s number one ranked batter, failed to add to his existing score of 41 and was sent on his way in the third over of the morning as he drove at Umesh Yadav outside off stump. The edge flew hard at Cheteshwar Pujara in the slips, but he held on well.

  That was the quick breakthrough India needed to lift their spirits, but the scale of the task ahead was pressed home immediately as new man Alex Carey steered his first ball for four to take the lead past 300.

  Green and Carey set about firming up the Australian position, playing carefully on a pitch that has continued to misbehave throughout the match.

  Green was struck on the shoulder by Mohammed Siraj, no mean feat with the all-rounder’s 6ft 6in stature, and later gloved a bouncer down to the fine-leg boundary as it climbed towards his rib cage.

  He eventually fell for 25 in 95 balls, a becalmed knock by any measure, losing a battle of wills with spinner Ravindra Jadeja. Having used his pad to block Jadeja’s negative leg-side line, he got defence slightly wrong and allowed the ball to canon into his stumps after ricocheting off the glove.

  Carey remained in place, with five fours in a resourceful 41no, with Mitchell Starc in support as India’s chances dried up.