India extend Test dominance over Australia with series win

By AFP

March 14, 2023

AHMEDABAD: India won their fourth series in a row against Australia after a fourth and final Test lit up by an epic 186 by Virat Kohli ended in a draw on Monday in Ahmedabad.

The hosts won the series 2-1 and the world´s two top-ranked teams will do battle again on June 7-11 at The Oval in the World Test Championship final. Even before the players shook hands on day five, India knew they had reached the WTC decider thanks to New Zealand´s thrilling last-ball win over Sri Lanka earlier in the day.

It will be India´s second successive WTC final, having lost the inaugural edition to New Zealand in 2021. Australia reached 175-2 in their second innings in the final session of play at the world´s biggest cricket stadium when the players of both teams called it a day.

“We do understand the importance of this series and the opposition. Lot of hard work has gone into this,” India skipper Rohit Sharma said. Coach Rahul Dravid told broadcaster Star Sports: “It was a really hard-fought series, there were moments where we were put under extreme pressure by a really good cricket team and we responded.”

India similarly lifted the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at home in 2017 and then beat the Australians in their own back yard in 2018-19 and 2020-21, each time 2-1. Travis Head (90) and Marnus Labuschagne (63 not out) snuffed out India´s push for a victory on the final day with a stand of 139 after nightwatchman Matthew Kuhnemann fell early for six.

The left-handed Head, capping a successful series after being left out of the first Test, missed out on his century after being bowled by Axar Patel. Regular opener Usman Khawaja did not to bat due to “lower leg soreness” after getting hurt while fielding on day four.

The match in Ahmedabad belonged though to Kohli, who hit a masterful knock on day four to end a Test century drought of 1,205 days since his previous ton.

Australia won the toss

Australia 1st innings 480

India 1st innings 571d

Australia 2nd innings

Kuhnemann lbw b Ashwin 6

Head b Axar 90

Labuschagne not out 63

Smith not out 10

Extras: (b4, lb1, nb1) 6

Total: (2 wickets dec) 175

Did not bat: U. Khawaja, P. Handscomb, C. Green, A. Carey, M. Starc, N. Lyon, T. Murphy

Bowling: Ashwin 24-9-58-1, Jadeja 20-7-34-0 (nb1), Shami 8-1-19-0, Axar 19-8-36-1, Yadav 5-0-21-0, Gill 1.1-0-1-0, Pujara 1-0-1-0