The home side are chasing a modest target of 148 after bowling out Pakistan for 237 and if they win will be assured a place in the WTC final at Lord's.
Australia suffered a big setback after senior fast bowler Josh Hazlewood was ruled out of the World Test Championship final against India.
Overall, in 25 matches Maharaj has picked up 59 wickets, averaging 17.76 with a bowling strike rate of 35.5.
The 2025 World Test Championship (WTC) final will be played at the iconic Lord's cricket ground from June 11 to 15 next year.
Kohli has reached the UK along with Mohammad Siraj, and the team is training at Kent Cricket Ground ahead of the final.
Ahead of the WTC final between India and Australia, Ricky Ponting picked Australia's playing XI.
'I think any captain who wants to lead from the front, they want to lead through performance as well, and that's what Temba's done exceptionally well.'
'Bumrah's 2024 exploits were a masterclass in skill, precision, and relentless consistency,' ICC said in a statement.
Sri Lanka lead the standings with 100 PCT, having won both the Tests they have played in this cycle. They are followed by Australia, who have a PCT of 86.66.
Cheteshwar Pujara will get a chance to sneak peek into Steve Smith's preparations ahead of the high-profile World Test Championship final, starting June 7, as the former Australian skipper gears up to play three English county games for Sussex this month.
'The captain of a country doesn't opt out of the final Test match of a series, a final-deciding Test match.'
The final will be played at the Oval from June 7-11.
Australia Test captain Pat Cummins is eyeing the upcoming Indian Premier League as his comeback platform from an ankle injury and has expressed confidence in regaining full fitness ahead of the World Test Championship final against South Africa, starting June 11 at Lord's.
'To not see the result that you want to, it can be very disheartening and that is what everyone's feeling right now.'
Cummins, Hazlewood ruled out of Champions Trophy.
Glimpses of Team India's training session on Sunday.
India won their seventh ICC trophy, while registering their third Champions Trophy triumph.
Former India selector Sandeep Singh picked India's playing XI for the WTC Final.
'It's been over a year now since I made some comments about the over-rates to the match referee and umpires, and to this day we're yet to hear any response back from the ICC.'
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri said K S Bharat would be the 'obvious choice' of the team management for the wicketkeeper's role in the WTC final against Australia
'I know we've got a big series but we can worry about that in a couple days' time. You only get a few of these moments in your career where you can sit back, acknowledge a pretty special achievement and that's one of these times.'
Australia finished the 2021-23 WTC cycle on top of the table, their only loss being the 2-1 away defeat to India earlier this year.
The head groundsman of the Oval promised a bouncy pitch for the WTC Final between India and Australia.
'The Goal is clear, to make another comeback to Team India. There is a belief in me that I will make a comeback.'
Tim Southee is eyeing the third Test against England as his swan song in the format but will make himself available for selection if the Black Caps make the WTC final next year.
Seamer Dane Paterson took a career-best 5-71 and Temba Bavuma was unbeaten on 48 as South Africa closed the third day
'I would have picked Ashwin for his batting, let alone his bowling. That is why I can't believe he isn't playing because he has got five Test centuries as well. It is very strange.'
Sri Lanka bid to sweep New Zealand and reach WTC final
Sunil Gavaskar believes switching from the T20 mode in the IPL to Test cricket will be the biggest challenge for the Indian players when they take on Australia.
Pat Cummins produced a vicious bowling onslaught to leave India battered and bruised as Australia took a 296-run lead on day three.
'I don't know what the maths looks like but we're playing good cricket and we want it to continue.'
Sourav Ganguly names Rishabh Pant as the next-best red-ball batter after stalwart Virat Kohli and predicts him to have a "huge impact" in the Border Gavaskar Trophy against Australia in Perth on Friday.
David Warner has been under pressure after a poor run of form with the bat but returned after injury to the 17-man squad for the June 7 WTC final against India at The Oval and the first two Ashes Tests.
While retirement is very much a cricketer's individual call, the counter point will be if the national selectors or the BCCI feel that they need to look at the bigger picture and have only one among Rohit and Virat in the ODI set-up going forward.
'He is a brilliant player, the way he started in one-day cricket, he has been exceptional. He has been a huge part of India's success at top of the order.'
Both India and Australia will not play a warm-up game ahead of the final beginning at the Oval from June 7.
Warner's participation was considered doubtful for the next red-ball assignments for Australia, especially after his horrendous run in India with the bat.
''The Oval can present itself with some spin occasionally, particularly as the game wears on. So we could face some sort of similarities to what we had in India at certain stages of the game.'
Smith said he expects the Indian attack to pose a stiff challenge irrespective of the combination they go with.
Konstas heads home but not out of Test team's plans
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