Australia Crushes Rohit Sharma's India to Win WTC Final, Extending India's Agonizing Wait for ICC Title

 In yet another disappointment for Team India, they suffered a crushing 209-run defeat against Australia in the final of the World Test Championship at The Oval. Despite a strong performance on the previous day, India's batting lineup collapsed on the final day, losing seven wickets in the opening session while chasing a target of 444 runs. This loss marks India's second consecutive defeat in the final of the tournament. On the other hand, Australia clinched their first-ever World Test Championship title, making them the first team in cricket history to win all ICC titles, including the ODI and T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy, along with the WTC.

On Day 5, India began their innings at 164/3, with Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane carrying the hopes of Indian fans. Despite losing the wickets of Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara in the previous session, Kohli (44*) and Rahane (20*) showed resilience and control. However, Scott Boland provided the breakthrough for Australia by dismissing Kohli for 49, inducing him into an outside edge that was caught by Steve Smith at slips. In the same over, Ravindra Jadeja also fell, dashing India's hopes of a victory.

Ajinkya Rahane, once again burdened with the responsibility of rescuing India, looked solid at the crease. However, he too departed in the 57th over, dismissed by Mitchell Starc. With India's score at 212/6, a win seemed highly unlikely. The Australian pacers then swiftly wrapped up the innings, taking the remaining four wickets for just 22 runs. Nathan Lyon claimed the final wicket of Mohammed Siraj, bringing an end to India's innings.