Sport
Boland sparks India collapse as Australia win WTC final
Scott Boland sparked a dramatic collapse as Australia hammered India by 209 runs to win the World Test Championship final at The Oval on Sunday.
India, set a record 444 to win, resumed on 164-3.
But they collapsed to 234 all out, losing seven wickets for 70 runs inside 24 overs before lunch on the fifth day.
Boland did the initial damage with two wickets in an over, including the prize scalp of Virat Kohli for 49, on his way to figures of 3-46 in 16 overs.
Off-spinner Nathan Lyon (4-41) then polished off the tail as Australia captured the one major men’s cricket title that had previously eluded them, with Pat Cummins’s side now heading into next week’s first Ashes Test against England in buoyant mood.
But this result left India, defeated by New Zealand in the inaugural 2021 WTC final in Southampton, still searching for the first piece of global silverware in a decade, AFP reported.
Australia were in charge of this final from early on with both player-of-the-match Travis Head (163) and star batsman Steve Smith (121) making hundreds in a first-innings total of 469 after India captain Rohit Sharma won the toss.
India were never on terms and they were left needing to make cricket history, with a target of 444 way in excess of the highest score made by any side to win in the fourth innings in 146 years of Test history — the West Indies’ 418-7 against Australia at St John’s in 2003.
Brief scores
Australia 1st Innings 469 (T Head 163, S Smith 121; Mohammed Siraj 4-108)
India 1st Innings 296 (A Rahane 89, S Thakur 51; P Cummins 3-83)
Australia 2nd Innings 270-8 dec (A Carey 66 no; R Jadeja 3-58)
India 2nd Innings 234 (N Lyon 4-41, S Boland 3-46)
Result: Australia won by 209 runs
The groups and match-ups for the FIFA World Cup 2026, set to be the biggest sporting event in history, were unveiled on Friday during a high-profile Final Draw ceremony held in the United States capital, Washington DC.
In front of nearly 2,000 international guests and millions of viewers worldwide, FIFA revealed the 12 groups of four teams for the expanded 23rd edition of the tournament. The draw marks a major milestone as excitement continues to build across the three host nations — the United States, Canada, and Mexico — and the 16 host cities preparing for the event.
FIFA announced that the full schedule, including match venues and kick-off times for the tournament’s 104 games, will be released during a live global broadcast on Saturday, 6 December.
With nearly two million tickets already sold, FIFA says anticipation for the 2026 World Cup is rapidly rising.
There are 48 teams in next year’s World Cup — an expansion from the 32 teams of previous tournaments.
In the 25th match of the fifth season of the Afghanistan Champions League, Abu Muslim Farah secured a dominant 6-0 victory over Jawanan Perozi.
On Friday, in the 26th match, Istiqlal Kabul defeated Sarsabz Yashlar 3-1.
Tomorrow, in the 27th match, Arman FC will take on Sorkh Poshan Khafi at 10:00 AM, followed by the 28th match, where Sarafan Herat will face Ettifaq Khanzadah at 1:30 PM.
All matches are broadcast live on Ariana Television, giving football fans across the country the chance to experience the excitement and intensity of the Afghanistan Champions League throughout the season.
In the 23rd match of the fifth season of the Afghanistan Champions League, Arman FC put on a dominant and electrifying display, overpowering Aino Mina 6–0.
In Thursday’s 24th fixture, Khurasan Faryab took on Ettifaq Khanzadah and secured a solid 2–0 victory.
Looking ahead to tomorrow’s games, Jawanan Perozi will face Abu Muslim Farah at 10:00 a.m. in the 25th match, while Istiqlal Kabul meets Sarsabz Yashlar at 1:30 p.m. in the 26th encounter.
All matches are broadcast live on Ariana Television, giving fans across the country the opportunity to follow the excitement and energy of the Afghanistan Champions League throughout the season.
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