Ahmedabad: 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.
Australia were 175 for 2 in 78.1 overs in their second innings with a lead of 84 runs when the two teams agreed to settle for a draw.
India have now beaten Australia by an identical 2-1 margin in the last four series — 2017 (home), 2018-19 (away), 2020-21 (away) and now 2023 at home.
It was a ‘Memorable Monday’ for India as a country in both performing arts and sports with ‘RRR’s song ‘Natu Natu’ getting the Oscar for the best song and Elephant Whisperers winning the ‘Best Documentary Award’.
By the afternoon, cricket added to the list of global accomplishments and now Rohit Sharma would love to break the decade-long ICC Trophy jinx. .
Draw was only result possible
With a featherbed of a track on offer, which former Australian opener Mark Waugh sarcastically said can host a “22-day Test match”, an outcome favouring either side was almost impossible, with only two completed innings in four days.
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.
PTI

Press Trust of India