Scott Boland’s huge Ashes statement in ‘superb’ Test final win for Australia

Scott Boland has made himself almost un-droppable for Australia's first Ashes Test at Edgbaston after starring on day five in Australia's historic World Test Championship triumph. Australia completed a dominant 209-run victory on the final day at The Oval to become the first cricket team to win world titles in all three formats of the game.

The Aussies claimed seven wickets on the final morning to kill off any hopes for Indian fans about a miracle comeback. The biggest of those wickets came through Boland, who removed India great Virat Kohli for 49, before claiming the scalp of Ravindra Jadeja two balls later.

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The Aussies needlessly burned a review with the score at 3-179 after trying in desperation to remove Kohli, sparking brief flashbacks of their 2019 capitulation at Headingley. However, the match swung spectacularly back into Australia's favour when the relentlessly accurate Boland drew an edge from India superstar Kohli, as he was looking to notch another half century.

Steve Smith threw himself to the right to take a superb catch at second slip with both feet in the air to remove Kohli for 49 and silence thousands of Indian fans in the crowd. Boland then removed Jadeja two balls later after drawing the edge when he came around the wicket to the left-hander and had him pushing at the ball outside off stump.

The wickets kick-started a collapse of 7-55 as India folded quickly amid an array of poor shots in their second straight loss in a Test decider. Boland's breakthroughs rammed home the argument Australian selectors cannot leave him out of their side for the first Ashes Test against England, starting on Friday.

Scott Boland puts forward irresistible case for Ashes

The Victorian is yet to be picked for Australia when the long-time pace contingent of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and the fit-again Josh Hazlewood are available. Boland's match figures of 5-105 will strengthen his case for selection, with fans insisting he simply cannot be dropped after the starring role in the WTC final.

After Boland broke India's back with his fourth-innings 3-46, Mitchell Starc (2-77) claimed the scalps of Ajinkya Rahane and Umesh Yadav to silence his critics ahead of the Ashes. Nathan Lyon (4-41) also removed Shardul Thakur and KS Bharat, before having Mohammed Siraj caught reverse sweeping to seal the victory.

Pursuing 444 for victory, it was always going to take a record chase for India to pull a miracle win out of the fire. In truth, the Aussies never really gave them a chance after an exhibition of bowling on a day five wicket that offered plenty to all the bowlers.

Pat Cummins hails victory for Aussie side

Australia captain Cummins has hailed the triumph as one of his side's greatest achievements. "Test matches for us are our favourite format, our biggest challenge in every way - and this competition, pitting us against everyone in the world, it's got to be right up there," he said.

"It's probably like to trying to pick your favourite kids ... but, yeah, it's satisfying." Australia had put an emphasis on winning the Test Championship for the past two years, after missing out on the inaugural final in 2021 after an over-rates penalty.

"To make it to the final you've got to win everywhere in the world," Cummins added. "This cycle was 20 Test matches. We only lost three out of the 20, the boys were fantastic the whole way through. We adapted well and that's what makes it so satisfying."

While questions linger over David Warner and Usman Khawaja's form at the top of the order, Smith and Travis Head set up the win with big first-innings centuries. Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green and Alex Carey all spent good time in the middle, with Carey's unbeaten 66 allowing Australia to declare at 8-280 in the second innings to set the platform for the bowlers to wrap up victory in a brilliant hit-out before the Ashes.

with AAP

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