World Test Champonship

[Mibbes Aye]

So here we are, play starts tomorrow and at its end we wll have a new officially crowned world champion - New Zealand, having won the inauguaral competition with a display of complete teamwork.

This time round, we have India against Australia. India currently sit top of the Test rankings and were beaten finalists last time. The Aussies are the bookies favourite across the board.

For India, the batting seems straghtforward - Rohit and Gill to open, then Pujara, Kohli, Rahane - there's a lot of runs there. They are missing Pant, who won't play until nxt year likely, as he continues his recovery. The popular option seem to be Bharat will continue behind the stumps rather than Rishan but it is a question mark, Both players are inexperienced at Test level, inexerienced in playing in England. Critically, Bharat played in the Border-Gavaskar series, so will have more knowledge of the Aussies. I think that will tip the balance.

Bowlng-wise it comes down to whether India play two spinners/three quicks, or one spinner/four quicks. The weather and confitions are a bit tricky as they seem to offer something for spin and seam. If they go with one spinner then one of Jadeja or Ashwin drops out. Ashwin is somewhat talismanic in terms of playing Australia, Redeja probably too good to drop. I would likely go with both but that really is tossing a coin - the conditions could quite easly turn the wicket into a skittle alley for the quicks.

And as for the quicks, no Bumrah, huge loss obviously. Shami and Siiraj take the first two spots. Third would be a choice between Thakur and Umesh, Thakur for me. And both picked if they go with four seamers.

As for Australia, their team picks itself with Hazelwood injured and Boland coming in. Even the battng otder of the bowlers is a given.

It's a tough one to call this. There are a few players who may not be around should their countries contest the next final. I'm going with Australia but it's not guaranteed by any stretch.

[Calvin]

I personally would have out Michael Neser in for Hazelwood instead of Scotty Boland. As excited as I am to see Boland on English wickets, you can't ignore Neser's world class form for Glamorgan this year.

Also Pujara has been phenomenal for Sussex and I can see him suffocating the Aussie bowling attack by batting for 4 days if he needs to.

I really don't know which way it will go, but how deep the Indian bowling lineup goes is what got them over the line at home a few months ago and I wouldn't be surprised if that happens again.

[Mibbes Aye]

Good first day's cricket. India went with Bharat and went with four seamers, Ashwin dropping out. Conditions looked very good for bowling, so when India won the toss they were always going to have a go.

Early doors, India made some headway with the new ball but the change bowling pair couldnt keep up with the example set by their teammates and the runs started to come. While the three Aussies to fall will all have regrets, they did get some runs on the board to pave the way for Smith and Head.

Head was in cracking form, scoring at almost a run a ball, while Smith was more steady and nurturing. They both left the field at the close of play with targets oitentially one strike away - Smith for a century, Travis Head for a 150. Tgis is Head's best score against England in England. He is six runs away from equalling his best score against England and 30 runs shy of setting a new, personal highest Test score aginst anyone, anywhere.

Matchwise, a lot on the line tomorrow - if India can't bowl better on day two then any chance of victory will disappear

[Mibbes Aye]

Another good day at the Oval, especially if you are Australian.

Siraj had probably gone to bed after day one, looking ahead to picking up the bowling the next day and imagining putting a real dent into the Aussies by picking up Smith's wicket - he was on 95 at close of play.

Unfortunately for Siraj his first two deliveries were exactly the same, half-volleys that Smith gleefully dipatched down the legside. Conecutive boundaries and he had his 31st Test century, and his 12th in England where he averages around 60 an innings. Suffice to say he likes playing in England, and it looks like he and a few teammates have got their eye in before the Ashes!

With an innings built around Smith and Head's big scores, Australia reached 469 all out. India actually bowled tidily enough to mop up the tail but the damage was already done. Time for India to show what they could do with the bat. Unfortunately for India, that involved Australia showing them what they could do with the ball.

With what was still a good-looking surface to play with, and a few cracks starting to appear, the Aussie quicks found a length and started inflicting damage. India were reduced to 50-3, with the wickets all bowled or lbws. Kohli never really got started and suddenly India were 71-4. In trouble, Rahane and Jadeja set about salvaging the innings and were looking good with a partnership of 71. That is where it stopped, Nathan Lyon exploiting the pitch to claim Jadejas wicket on a pitch that looks like it will offer him more and more.

India ended the day 318 runs behind, with five wickets remaining. They may not avoid the risk of the follow-on. That's not a great place to be and it will call into question whether they should have gone with Ashwin instead of a fourth seamer, though hindsight is obviously perfect. Anyway, with two days done, and both gone in Australia's favour, the Indians really need to pull something out the hat for day three.

[Mibbes Aye]

Day three at the Oval. India needed something big. But while Australia struggled a little more than on the first two days, they are still very much in the driving seat, with an Aussie victory the most likely outcome.

India began 318 runs behind with five wickets remaining. The fact that they are srill alive, barely, but alive rests on the shoulders of Rahane and Thakur who put together a feisty, punchy 109-run stand that ensured India would avoid the follow-on. But it was, is, a sticking plaster on a much bigger wound. Cam Green had a hand, literally in the demise of both Indians, pulling off a spectacular reaction catch to dismiss Rahane andhaving Thaur caught from his bowling. Come the close of the innings, India had reached 296, still 173 behind.

Nevertheless Indiia's bowlers produced some peppery stuff at the second time of asking. There was still a tinge of green on the surface and some substantial cracks, which had the potential to turn a straightforward-looking delivery into a much trickier question. The Indians were right to have hope with Australia losing Warner and Khawaja early, both reaching for balls that were moving away from them. Theunpredictable bounce also spelled trouble for Labuschagne, with him taking a number of blows from fast balls rising higher and quicker than he anticipated.

But with the fall of Khawaja came Steve Smith. His partnership with Labuschagne saw the run rate pick up as he knocked off a lively 34 from 47 before getting right under the ball and lofting it to Thakur somewhere just short of point.

By this stage you could see players were suffering a little, India have done a lot of fielding in the Oval sun and little mistakes were creeping in. By the end of play, Australia were at 134-2 (or 2-134 in their vernacular), with a lead of 296 runs, exactly the score India posted in their first innings.

It's going to take some ferocious bowling tomorrow from India and then some fine batting on a deteriorating surface to save this game. But to do so, they will need to break into and mop up the Aussie tail quickly and with little damage, then see off three top seamers and a certain offspinner who has only bowled four overs so far and must be livking his lips at the state of the pitch.

[Mibbes Aye]

Day four and most of it was around Australia putting everything in place for a strong win. At least until Virat Kohli came out to the middle.

But to start art the beginning, Australia knew that one decent partnership would move them to an almost unassailable position while giving them enough time to take ten wickets.

Alex Carey and Mitchell Starc duly obliged, knocking up 93 runs from around 20 overs. Australia eventually declared on 270-8 leaving India a massive 444 to win.

To their credit India came out fighting, scoring at nearly six an over until Australia broke through, taking Rohit and Pujara in successive overs, having dismissed Gill earlier. 93-3 and the mood was despondent in the Indian camp.

That mood lifted and kept rising as the rest of the day’s play went on, Virat and Rahane steering India to 164-3. Australia will be gunning for them in the morning as this feels like the last partnership that can find a way through for India.

So, day five awaits, with a reserve day earmarked in case of bad weather. India require 280 runs, Australia require seven wickets. Both are achievable. With Kohli looking on form he can lead the side to that target on this pitch. Likewise, Australia, with the bowling talent at their disposal could sweep through this side well within one session. Interestingly, Nathan Lyon only got a couple of overs today, he will get a lot more tomorrow, for sure.

All in all, a very good match, sustaining interest through to day five and featuring a good number of the best players on the planet, indeed a couple of contenders for all-time great status, as well as a bunch of good pros supporting them, some with very bright futures ahead of them.

i saw an interesting piece earlier, in one of the broadsheets I think, comparing Ben Stokes and Cam Green. Waste of time reading I thought. But, it turns out that over a range of metrics, Green is performing better than Stokes was at this stage of his career. Of course Stokes continued to power on though. It will be interesting to see how Cam Green develops, with the Ashes just about on us.

And speaking of the Ashes, Australia face a question in game one. With Josh Hazlewood fit again he walks straight back in, or certainly should. That leaves Starc and Boland fighting it out for the third spot. Boland has never been picked when all of Cummins, Hazlewood and Starc are available, but he is probably performing the best of the seamers in this match!

One thing that may address this pragmatically is what appears to be some doubt over whether Starc can manage a five-Test series at the moment, with particular concern over the injury he acquired in the winter.

We won’t have to wait long to find out!

[Mibbes Aye]

Just realised I never wrapped this up!

Erm....day five, Scotty Boland got Virat early on and once Rahane fell, there wasn't even the glimmer of a chance for India. Dismissed before lunch, comfortable textbook victory for Australia.

Man of the match for me? Scott Boland. He loves playing on English pitches, doesn't he? Five wickets, including the momentous one on the last day, and kept his economy rate safely below three an over in hot conditions.