Sloppy Australia stay on top in WTC final after Jadeja's double strike

India's Ravindra Jadeja took two prize wickets but Australia remained in command of the World Test Championship final despite an error-strewn display at The Oval on Friday.

Jadeja removed first-innings century-makers Steve Smith and Travis Head but a third day of dropped catches, wickets off no-balls and rash shots still ended with Australia 296 runs ahead at 123-4 in their second innings.

Marnus Labuschagne, the world's top-ranked Test batsman, survived several painful blows on a pitch of variable bounce to be 41 not out at stumps.

SCORECARD | World Test Championship final: Australia v India

When Scott Boland knocked over Srikar Bharat's stumps with just the second ball of the day, India were 317 runs behind with only four first-innings wickets standing.

But Ajinkya Rahane (89) and Shardul Thakur (51) then made the most of Australia's mistakes a week before the first Ashes Test against England during a seventh-wicket stand of 109.

India surged past the follow-on total before they were eventually dismissed for 296.

Australia captain Pat Cummins took 3-83 in his 20 overs but his figures would have been better but for six no-balls.

And Australia were 2-1 when under-pressure opener David Warner, who had managed just one century in his previous 33 Test innings, was caught behind off Mohammed Siraj.

Usman Khawaja, Warner's opening partner, fell cheaply for the second time this match when, on 13, he followed a first-innings duck by carelessly edging a wide ball from Umesh Yadav to wicketkeeper Bharat as the paceman took his first wicket of the final.

Left-arm spinner Jadeja then removed Smith and Head, although both batsmen played a part in their own downfall.

Star batsman Smith had spent just over five-and-a-half hours at the crease