India vs Australia 4th Test Day 5 Highlights: Ahmedabad Test ends in high-scoring draw, India win series 2-1

Here are some of the key awards handed out during the presentation ceremony:

Player of the Match: Virat Kohli

Player of the Series: Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja

A tame end to what turned out to be another fiercely fought series between these two great cricketing nations, with India once again walking away with the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in their possession. Australia, who have not beaten India in a Test series since 2014-15 at home, deserve credit for a superb comeback in the third and fourth Tests after crumbling to one-sided defeats inside three days in each of the first two games.

Among their biggest gains in this series would be the discovery of a couple of gems in Todd Murphy and Matthew Kuhnemann in the spin department, as well as Usman Khawaja and Travis Head’s form with the bat at the top of the order. For the hosts, Virat Kohli ending a long drought after more than three years and the manner in which Axar Patel contributed both with bat and ball would be their key talking points.

Australia will certainly be backing themselves to come out on top in the World Test Championship final in June after the kind of fight they displayed in the last two weeks.

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After 78.1 overs,Australia 175/2 decl. ( Marnus Labuschagne 63 , Steven Smith (C) 10)

The players are shaking hands out at the centre, with Australia apparently declaring 10 minutes before the start of the final hour.

And with that, the fourth Test ends in a high-scoring draw, with Team India winning the four-Test series 2-1, maintaining ownership over the Border-Gavaskar Trophy!

Part-timers Shubman Gill and Cheteshwar Pujara bowl an over each, before Rohit and Smith decide there’s no point in playing any further.

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After 75 overs,Australia 173/2 ( Marnus Labuschagne 61 , Steven Smith (C) 10)

Drinks taken at the end of the 75th over, and we’re in for what should be the final 30 minutes of the Test series. Just 11 runs have been scored in the last 10 overs, so the intent on the part of Labuschagne and Smith is pretty clear right now.

India vs Australia 4th Test LIVE Score

After 74 overs,Australia 173/2 ( Marnus Labuschagne 61 , Steven Smith (C) 10)

Not much happening out there at Motera right now, both Labuschagne and Smith are blocking their way through the overs right now. Another half an hour to go before the two captains can officially shake hands and bring this Test to an end.

IND vs AUS 4th Test LIVE Score

After 70 overs,Australia 169/2 ( Marnus Labuschagne 59 , Steven Smith (C) 8)

India have opted to have a left-arm spinner from each end after the tea interval. Australia, meanwhile, stretch their lead to 78 at the end of the 70th over with Smith batting on 8, having scored a hundred per cent of his runs through boundaries.

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FOUR! A second boundary to Smith after tea, this time off Jadeja who replaces Ashwin in the attack. Short and wide from Jaddu and the Aussie skipper firmly cuts this through the backward point region. AUS 166/2

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After 65 overs,Australia 162/2 ( Marnus Labuschagne 56 , Steven Smith (C) 4)

FOUR! Aussie skipper Steve Smith gets off the mark in style on the other side of the tea interval, charging down the track and smashing Ashwin down the ground for a boundary!

IND vs AUS 4th Test LIVE Score

The players are back from their respective dressing rooms for what is the final session of another riveting edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, although the series appears set to end in a tame draw. The two teams could end up shaking hands and agreeing to a draw at 3.30 pm local time if the situation remains more or less than same.

India vs Australia 4th Test LIVE Score

After 64 overs,Australia 158/2 ( Marnus Labuschagne 56 , Steven Smith (C) 0)

TEA on Day 5: Axar bowls out the final over of the second session as Australia head to tea with a lead of 67 and Labuschagne batting on 56. Skipper Steve Smith is yet to get off the mark, and will hope to bat out the remainder of the day.

India vs Australia 4th Test LIVE Score

After 63 overs,Australia 158/2 ( Marnus Labuschagne 56 , Steven Smith (C) 0)

DROPPED! Axar nearly snares two wickets before tea as Bharat puts down a tough chance after a thick deflection off Smith’s outside edge, the ball deflecting off the keeper’s pad before falling away to safety. Labuschagne, meanwhile, collects a boundary off Ashwin with a solid punch through the covers the following over.

IND vs AUS 4th Test LIVE Score

After 61 overs,Australia 153/2 ( Marnus Labuschagne 51 , Steven Smith (C) 0)

The move to replace an off-colour Umesh with Axar shortly before tea pays off as the left-arm spinner breaches Head’s defence and sends the southpaw opener back to the hut for 90. Despite Australia still appearing very comfortable at the moment, that wicket will have raised the Indian spirits at the moment. Wicket maiden to Axar, with Ashwin collecting a maiden from the other end.

IND vs AUS 4th Test LIVE Score

BOWLED! Axar finally ends the second-wicket stand by breaching Head’s defence as the left-handed opener falls short of what would have been his maiden overseas Test ton by just 10 runs! Head looked to drive against the turn, but played down the wrong line. With that, Axar Patel completes 50 wickets in Test cricket! AUS 153/2

Head b Axar 90(163)

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After 58 overs,Australia 150/1 ( Travis Head 87 , Marnus Labuschagne 51)

Ashwin returns for another burst shortly before tea, replacing Jadeja. Labuschagne, meanwhile, brings up his first half-century of the tour with a brace off Umesh Yadav in the following over, taking 150 deliveries to get to what is his 15th half-century overall in Tests. Also brings up the 150 for the Aussies in the process.

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After 56 overs,Australia 140/1 ( Travis Head 86 , Marnus Labuschagne 44)

FOUR! Effortlessly tucked away through the midwicket region by Labuschagne off an overpitched delivery from Umesh. The Aussie No 3 moves to 44 with that hit to the fence, and is not one hit away from bringing up his first half-century of the tour.

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FOUR! Driven through the covers by Head off Umesh, who replaces Shami in the attack. The southpaw opener enters the 80s with the shot. AUS 129/1

India vs Australia LIVE Cricket Score

After 53 overs,Australia 124/1 ( Travis Head 77 , Marnus Labuschagne 37)

Jadeja has to pull out of his delivery stride in the last second in his 14th over after Labuschagne accidentally drops his bat at the striker’s end while doing a bit of shadow batting and raises his arms asking for the delivery to be bowled again, eliciting a few laughs from the commentary box. Not much happening at Motera otherwise, with Head and Labuschagne appearing rock solid at the moment.

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After 51 overs,Australia 123/1 ( Travis Head 76 , Marnus Labuschagne 37)

Drinks brought to the field at the end of the 51st over, with the game now appearing destined for a draw the way things are progressing at the moment. Head, meanwhile, will have his sights set on a century — which will be a defiant comeback of sorts for him after he was overlooked by the team leadership for the Nagpur Test.

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After 50 overs,Australia 122/1 ( Travis Head 75 , Marnus Labuschagne 37)

The no-ball buzzer reverberates around the Narendra Modi Stadium in the final delivery of the 49th, with Jadeja guilty of marginally overstepping — something that he has been guilty off far too often this series. Big shout for LBW by Shami against Head in the following over, with the ball visibly going down leg.

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After 48 overs,Australia 120/1 ( Travis Head 75 , Marnus Labuschagne 37)

Change from both ends, with Jadeja and Shami replacing Ashwin and Axar, who aren’t exactly posing much of a threat to the well-set second-wicket pair. Meanwhile, the 100 of the partnership comes up between Head and Labuschagne after two byes are added to the Aussie total at the start of Shami’s new spell.

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After 45 overs,Australia 105/1 ( Travis Head 64 , Marnus Labuschagne 35)

SIX! Smashed down the ground by Head off Ashwin, the ball landing in front of the sight screen, bringing up the 100 for the visitors in the process. Just three balls earlier, Head had smashed the senior offie over midwicket for a boundary. Big over from Ashwin, with 12 coming off it.

India vs Australia 4th Test LIVE Score

FOUR! Trickled away towards fine leg by Labuschagne off Axar, and with that, the Aussies erase the deficit and are in the lead! AUS 93/1

India vs Australia 4th Test LIVE Score

After 42 overs,Australia 88/1 ( Travis Head 53 , Marnus Labuschagne 29)

Faint appeal for a stumping as Bharat whips the bails off after Labuschagne appeared to have shuffled his backfoot a bit. The TV umpire also checks for a possible outside edge. Nothing on UltraEdge, and ML’s foot is also firmly grounded. Labuschagne ends the over with a solid punch through the cover region for a boundary. Head collects a brace off Axar in the following over before collecting a boundary off the last ball, bringing up his 13th Test half-century — and his first of the ongoing tour!

India vs Australia 4th Test LIVE Score

FOUR! Fifty for Travis Head — his first of the tour and his 13th overall in the Test format! Plays the delivery from Axar late to guide it towards the third man boundary, bringing up the milestone in 112 deliveries. AUS 88/1

IND vs AUS 4th Test LIVE Score

After 40 overs,Australia 77/1 ( Travis Head 46 , Marnus Labuschagne 25)

Big appeal for caught-behind against Head in Ashwin’s second over of the session, and they decide against going after the review as Ashwin thinks it came off his body rather than the bat. Both Ashwin and Axar collect a maiden in the meantime.

IND vs AUS 4th Test LIVE Score

After 38 overs,Australia 77/1 ( Travis Head 46 , Marnus Labuschagne 25)

India start off with Ashwin and Axar after the lunch interval, the off-spinner and the left-arm spinner conceding a couple of runs each at the start of the afternoon session. Head, meanwhile, is one hit away from his first half-century of the tour.

IND vs AUS 4th Test LIVE Score

Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne make their way back to the centre along with the Indian team, who have now officially qualified for the World Test Championship final after New Zealand’s thrilling two-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in Christchurch. Kane Williamson hits a brilliant 121 not out, guiding the Black Caps home with the match going down to the very last delivery.

Rohit and Co will still be harbouring hopes of pulling a rabbit out of the hat and collecting a 3-1 series victory instead of 2-1.

Desperately searching for the cracks

Both team’s coaches having a relook on the pitch now. pic.twitter.com/P6E0QGTJPi

— Vimal कुमार (@Vimalwa) March 13, 2023

India vs Australia 4th Test LIVE Score

After 36 overs,Australia 73/1 ( Travis Head 45 , Marnus Labuschagne 22)

LUNCH ON DAY 5

Ashwin confidently shouts for a leg-before after the ball straightens a bit after pitching between middle and leg and hits Head on the front pad, with skipper Rohit making the ‘T’ sign after umpire Nitin Menon turns it down. HawkEye shows the ball to be clipping leg, allowing the Indians to retain their review.

Umesh Yadav then sends down the final over of the session as Australia head to lunch on 73/1, trailing by another 18 runs. The opening session has well and truly belonged to the visitors, with Head and Labuschagne both appearing well set, and the Motera track still appearing helpful to the batters.

IND vs AUS 4th Test LIVE Score

After 34 overs,Australia 70/1 ( Travis Head 43 , Marnus Labuschagne 21)

Umesh Yadav returns for a quick spell before lunch, replacing Jadeja. Starts off with five consecutive dots before Head clips the ball behind square leg to collect a brace. Another 10 minutes to go for lunch on the final day.

IND vs AUS 4th Test LIVE Score

FOUR! FOUR! Head collects consecutive boundaries off Axar, guiding the ball towards the vacant long on fence before nicking the ball behind square towards the third man fence to move to 40, and bring up the fifty partnership with Labuschagne for the second wicket! AUS 65/1

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After 30 overs,Australia 57/1 ( Travis Head 32 , Marnus Labuschagne 19)

Three conceded by Jadeja in his ninth over, including a brace to Labuschagne in the fourth delivery after a whip through the midwicket region. Meanwhile in the previous over bowled by Axar, India skipper Rohit decided against going for a review after an appeal for an LBW against Labuschagne. The ball did hit the pad first, but impact was outside off.

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After 28 overs,Australia 53/1 ( Travis Head 30 , Marnus Labuschagne 17)

Rohit continues to rotate his spinners, bringing Axar back in for Jadeja in the 27th, followed by a change of ends for Jadeja. Labuschagne collects a brace off the second ball of Jadeja’s eighth, but is surprised by the extra bounce in the final ball of the same over, getting a bat-thigh deflection that ultimately lands safely.

India vs Australia LIVE Cricket Score

SIX! Head skips down the track and smashes the ball straight down the ground towards the sight screen to bring up the 50 for the visitors! Head moves to 30 with that hit. AUS 50/1

IND vs AUS LIVE Cricket Score

After 25 overs,Australia 44/1 ( Travis Head 24 , Marnus Labuschagne 14)

Big shout by Ashwin for LBW against Head, but the umpire shakes his head this time around. And surely enough, it is missing leg, as was the case with the Kuhnemann dismissal where the nightwatchman decided against (or was advised not to) taking the review. Partnership now worth 28, and is starting to look real solid for the visitors.

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After 23 overs,Australia 42/1 ( Travis Head 23 , Marnus Labuschagne 13)

India abandon the left-arm-spin-from-both-ends plan with Ashwin returning to the attack after a short breather, replacing Axar. Both Labuschagne collect a boundary each in the last two overs; while Labuschagne lofts the ball over midwicket, Head gets down on one knee and plays a sumptuous drive off Jadeja. Deficit less than 50 now with nine wickets in hand.

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After 21 overs,Australia 33/1 ( Travis Head 18 , Marnus Labuschagne 9)

Axar Patel is introduced into the attack in the 20th over, with Jadeja replacing Ashwin from the Jio End as Rohit opts for left-arm spin from both ends. While Axar starts off with a maiden, Head smashes Jadeja for a boundary towards deep extra cover to move to 17. Drinks brought to the field at the end of this over.

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FOUR! Labuschagne charges down the track and launches the ball towards the vacant cow corner fence, where the ball bounces a couple of times before going over the boundary rope. AUS 26/1