Day 5: Fourth Test ends in draw
Ahmedabad: India clinched the four-Test series against Australia 2-1 after the fourth and final Test ended in a draw here on Monday.
Australia were 175 for 2 in 78.1 overs in their second innings when the players from the two teams decided to shake hands.
Marnus Labuschagne (63) and Steve Smith (10) were at the crease when the two team agreed on not playing the full quota of the overs for the day.
India sealed their place in the final of the World Test Championships after Sri Lanka lost to New Zealand by two wickets in the Christchurch Test.
Overnight batter Matthew Kuhnemann (6) and Travis Head (90) were the two wickets to fall after Australia resumed the final day at 3 for no loss.
On Sunday, India posted a mammoth 571 in their first innings to take a crucial 91-run lead. Australia had posted 480 in their first essay.
Australia: 480 and 175 for 2 in 78.1 overs (Travis Head 90, Marnus Labuschagne 63 not out; Ravichandran Ashwin 1/56, Axar Patel 1/36).
On an uneventful day of cricket, India qualified for the World Test Championship (WTC) final and clinched the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the fourth successive time after the fourth and final match against Australia ended in a drab draw, here on Monday.
India’s spot in the WTC final against Australia was locked before the post-lunch session when Sri Lanka lost the Christchurch Test to New Zealand by two wickets as Kane Williamson’s magnificent hundred steered his side to one of the most thrilling wins in Test cricket. For Australia, it was important that their batters made the best use of the flat surface without being under pressure as they had already qualified for the WTC final.
Travis Head (90 off 163 balls) will certainly put pressure on David Warner when he comes back while Marnus Labuschagne (63 not out, 213 balls) also did well. The Indian team could feel chuffed after back-to-back WTC final qualification but head coach Rahul Dravid and captain Sharma would know well that Australia will be a different proposition in the final where the track will certainly not aid the Indian spinners like it did in the first three Tests at home.
An Australian attack, comprising Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, skipper Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon on an early June English track, could prove to be a handful but India have won two series against this attack in Australia.
