India has secured a 2-1 series win against Australia after the fourth Test in Ahmedabad ended in a draw, with the hosts retaining the Border-Gavaskar trophy for the fourth successive time.
After the first three Tests ended in less than three days on raging turners, the series finale was played on a lifeless pitch as just 22 wickets fell across 15 sessions.
Starting day five on Monday still trailing India by 91 runs, Australia was comfortably steered to safety by Travis Head (90) and Marnus Labuschange (63 not out) as the match was called off early with neither team capable of securing a victory.
The teams shook hands just an over after Indian No.3 Cheteshwar Pujara bowled the second over of his 102-Test career.
Australia declared on 2-175 with Labuschange and Steve Smith (10 not out) at the crease after making 480 in its first innings when Usman Khawaja (180) and Cameron Green (114) scored memorable centuries.
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But India batted even better, piling on 571 as Virat Kohli (186) broke through for his first century in more than three years and young opener Shubman Gill scored an excellent 128.
Kohli was named player of the match, while star Indian all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin were rewarded for match-winning performances across the four Tests by sharing the man-of-the-series award.
Australia’s regular No.11 Matt Kuhnemann was the only wicket to fall in the first session on Monday after the spinner was sent in as a nightwatchman on Sunday with Head in place of Khawaja.
The in-form opener is struggling with an unspecified leg injury after hurting himself in the field on Sunday and looked sore trying to run in the nets before play on day five.
Khawaja was only a chance to bat if Australia found itself in serious trouble trying to save the match.
India retained the Border-Gavaskar trophy after winning the first two Tests of the four-match series.
Australia could have secured a rare 2-2 series result with a win in Ahmedabad after its famous nine-wicket triumph in Indore in the third Test.
India won 2-1 the last time it hosted Australia in 2017, while it also secured memorable away series victories in 2018-19 and 2020-21.
But Australia and India will meet again in June with the powerhouse teams qualifying for the World Test Championship final at The Oval in London.
Australia’s next Test tour to India is in 2027, with star players like Steve Smith, Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc and Khawaja seriously unlikely to return in four years.
