Australian players celebrate on the last day of the fourth Test between Australia and India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. (AP)

Australia have taken a giant step towards the final of the World Test Championship after beating India by 184-runs in a dramatic finish to the fourth Test in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. From a seemingly confident position at 112/3 at the Tea break, India collapsed to 155 all out.
With the win, Australia took a 2-1 lead in the five-match series which now moves to Sydney from 3 January. But more importantly for the Pat Cummins-led side, they are step away from defending their crown at Lord’s in June.

The win keeps Australia in second place but ensures India will have to rely on Sri Lanka to overhaul them, even if they win in Sydney. South Africa, meanwhile, had maintained their place at the top of the charts with a dramatic two-wicket win against Pakistan on Sunday.
After the win, Australia have moved themselves to 61.46 percentage points for winning 10 of their 16 matches in the two-year cycle. South Africa are top of the charts with 66.67 points. India, meanwhile, remain third with 52.78 points.
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India’s quest to play the WTC Final for a third straight time suffered one jolt after another. It all began with the 3-0 series loss at home against New Zealand. In Australia, India got off to a positive start, winning the opener in Perth by a massive 295 runs.
But Australia clinched the second Test, at the Adelaide Oval, by 10-wickets, to keep themselves in the thick of things as far as WTC Points Table is concerned.
A draw at the Gabba in Brisbane didn’t help either side. Instead, it made the MCG Test even more important than the context of the series and bragging rights that go with it.
But with India losing seven wickets in the final session, Australia got the job done for a comprehensive win out of nowhere.