AHMEDABAD: India clinched the four-match series against Australia 2-1 after the final Test ended in a draw on Monday in Ahmedabad following defiant half-centuries from Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne.
Even before the players shook hands India knew they had qualified for the World Test Championship final after New Zealand edged out Sri Lanka by two wickets in the opening Test in Christchurch.
India, who makes their second successive WTC final after losing the inaugural edition to New Zealand in 2021, will meet Australia in the title clash on June 7-11 at The Oval.
Australia reached 175-2 in their second innings in the final session of play on day five at the world’s biggest cricket stadium when the players of both teams called it a day.
The left-handed Head (90) and 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.
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 belonged to India’s Virat Kohli, who hit a masterful 186 on day four to end a Test century drought of 1,205 days since his previous ton in November 2019.
The marathon 364-ball knock blocked every chance of a potential defeat for the hosts after Australia posted 480 on a vastly different pitch from the previous three Tests.
