Mace-winning performances: Candidates for the WTC Final Player of the Match

With the ebbs and flows of a dramatic WTC Final captivating crowds and television audiences alike, we move to day five with all four results still in play.

Ahead of the final day of The Ultimate Test we look at the cricketers in the conversation for the illustrious Aramco Player of the Match accolade.

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163 and 18

As India made early inroads on day one, Australia sat in a precarious position at 76/3 just seven balls into the second session.

Instead of playing within himself, Travis Head attacked the game head-on. After leaving and defending his first two deliveries, Head took on Mohammed Shami with a guide through the cordon for four. He then hit his first ball against Mohammed Siraj to the fence, and moved to 30 in just 22 balls.

The blitz threw the tension back on India's bowlers, and Head's consolidation through the middle of the day with Steve Smith prevented a tumble of Australian wickets.

Come the third session, Head ramped up again, reaching three figures in 106 deliveries and ending the day on 146*.

Head added 14 on day two, helping Australia to post their first innings total of 469.

121 and 34

As Head stole pun-riddled headlines, Steve Smith knuckled down and played the perfect support role at the other end as he again exhibited the rare ability to make prolific runs on England shores.

The 34-year-old had to negotiate a tricky period before lunch, and gave Head a liberty to attack, knowing his own time to attack the bowlers would come.

That time eventually came and Smith added an exclamation point to day one by hitting a boundary off the final ball, though may have struggled to sleep coming into day two five short of his 31st Test century.

The right-hander only needed two balls on day two to raise his bat, eventually chopping on to fall for 121 then contributing a useful 34 in Australia's second innings push.

48 and 66*, three catches

Squeezing out late-order runs goes a long way when the pressure rises along with the stakes, and the contributions of Australia’s gloveman with the bat should not go unnoticed should they taste victory.

Not only helping build a solid first innings total with a knock of 48 to move Australia past 450, Carey put his foot down at the backend of the second innings with the tail to set up Australia’s declaration.

Carey with the gloves has been dependable in alien conditions, dealing with the trickiness of the red ball in the UK and taking three catches in the process.

4/108, 1/80

Leaking 469 in the first innings may not look amazing on the scorecard, though the work of Mohammed Siraj, taking four wickets and steaming in across the best part of two days, meant that India could still cling to hope of victory.

The speedster asked several questions on the morning of day one, taking the wicket of Usman Khawaja and regularly testing Australia's world-class middle order, particularly No.1 Test batter Marnus Labuschagne.

Importantly, Siraj bowled just as quick in his spells late on day one and into day two, claiming Travis Head before another blitz and cleaning up the tail to finish with 4/108.

Siraj again charged in for the second innings and claimed the wicket of David Warner for just one, curtailing any chances of an early Australian charge that might have taken the game away from India.

89 and 20*

Any pressure of being hastily thrown into India's squad for the WTC Final was lost on Ajinkya Rahane, as the 35-year-old to this point has almost done everything expected of him at The Oval.

Thrown into a situation not too dissimilar to opposing No.5 Travis Head, Rahane walked out at 50/3 with India still 419 runs adrift of the Aussies and staring down the barrel of a score under 200.

Rather than buckling under pressure, Rahane went on a counter-attack of his own, hitting 11 fours and a six on the way to a score of 89, only denied a possible ton by a stunning Cameron Green catch when India had moved to 261/7.

Having rescued the first innings with his contribution, Rahane could complete a career-defining Test comeback should India steal the World Test Championship mace on day five.

Rahane resumes on 20*, and has a day up his sleeve to make the 280 runs required with Virat Kohli and the rest of the batting order.

14 and 44*

If India are to pull off the smash-and-grab heroics on day five, you would think it will be off the back of the man who would likely need to record his 29th Test century to set up the win.

Kohli only contributed 14 in the first innings, falling to a leaping Mitchell Starc delivery that crashed into the shoulder of the bat and popped up to Steve Smith.

In the second innings though, the No.4 has already put India into a position where they might still challenge.

Seven boundaries has helped the right-hander to 44* from just 60 balls, with a range of shots both against the pace attack and the off-spin of Nathan Lyon.

There’s recent history to suggest Kohli will be up for the occasion, and another chase masterclass would underline his credentials as one of the great finishers.

3/83 and 1/42

In a similar vein to Kohli, Pat Cummins has the fate of the WTC Final largely in his hands and could make a Player of the Match case with a decisive performance on day five.

To begin with though, the Australia skipper has already made a substantial contribution, taking three wickets in the first innings and claiming a key scalp of Cheteshwar Pujara in India's second-innings chase.

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Cummins struck opposition captain Rohit Sharma in front in the sixth over of India's first innings, a vital strike considering India's attacking intent was beginning to reflect on the scoreboard.

It was later Cummins who quelled Rahane to pin India back at 261/7, and the late wicket of Umesh Yadav prevented any late tail recoil.

The 30-year-old must lead his troops on the field with measure and winning the Test would be his obvious priority, but his work with the ball would likely press his case for the individual accolade.