Australia declare on 270-8 to set India 444-run victory target

LONDON : Australia declared on 270 for eight, setting India a monumental 444-run victory target in the World Test Championship (WTC) final on Saturday.

India will have to pull off their highest-ever successful fourth-innings run chase if they are to win their first global ICC trophy in 10 years and avoid suffering back-to-back defeats in WTC finals.

Alex Carey top-scored for the Australians in their second innings with a dogged 66 off 105 balls, while left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja was the pick of the Indian bowlers by claiming 3-58.

India's best-ever fourth-innings run chase was scoring 406-4 against West Indies in Port of Spain in 1976. Their task will look even more daunting since the highest-ever successful run chase at The Oval is 263, which England achieved against Australia more than a century ago, in 1902.