After a rain-curtailed fourth day, the ongoing fifth Ashes Test between England and Australia is set to reach its conclusion. Both the teams will be squaring off against each other on the final day on Monday with Australia needing 249 runs to win with 10 wickets in hand. After rain forced early stumps on Day 4, Australia's score read at 135/0 with openers Usman Khawaja (69*) and David Warner (58*) standing unbeaten at the crease. On Day 5, all eyes will be on the weather as the fourth Ashes Test also ended in a draw due to rain.
Australia openers David Warner and Usman Khawaja hit unbeaten fifties as the tourists reached 135-0 on a rain-shortened Sunday in pursuit of a mammoth target of 384 runs to win the fifth Ashes Test at The Oval.
They kept Stuart Broad waiting for a farewell wicket after the England fast-bowling great made a shock announcement on Saturday that he was retiring after the match.
Warner was 58 not out and fellow left-hander Khawaja unbeaten on 69 when rain at 2:41 pm (1341 GMT) ended play on the fourth day. Australia need 249 more runs to complete a 3-1 series win and a first Ashes campaign triumph in England since 2001.
If Australia do manage to reach that target, it will be the eighth-highest fourth-innings total to win any Test and the second-highest in England, behind Australia's 404-3 at Headingley in 1948 when Arthur Morris made 182 and batting great Don Bradman an unbeaten 173.
(With AFP Inputs)