Watch: Virat Kohli fell short of a World Test Championship Final half century, courtesy of a Steve Smith blinder off Scott Boland’s bowling at second slip – leaving India with a mountain to climb on day 5.
With India still needing 265 runs to win, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane had looked to consolidate the chase in the first half hour of play, with a frenzied Indian crowd behind them at the Kia Oval.
Scott Boland, bowling his seventh over a day, had found a metronomic rhythm, hitting his trademark length – he ventured slightly fuller and Kohli chased a drive outside off stump, with the ball seaming ever so slightly away from the bat.
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Kohli, who had made his way to 49 from 78 deliveries, could only edge in the direction of slip cordon, namely Smith at second.
One of his generation’s finest catchers in that position, Smith propelled himself into a contorted catching pose to his right, holding on with both hands to silence the Indian fans.
Smith’s 157th Test catch moves him past Allan Border, up to 12th in the Test rankings.
Scott Boland carried his momentum through the over, removing Ravindra Jadeja for a second-ball duck caught behind, and almost taking the wicket of KS Bharat first ball – the latter edging just high of the cordon.
India have been left chasing a serious uphill battle if they are to complete a world-record 444 chase.
Watch Steve Smith’s stunning catch to remove Virat Kohli for 49 here:
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