Final Test peters out as AUSvIND rematch confirmed

Like a half-baked movie script that starts promisingly and peters out, the ending to the Australia's Test tour of India did not do its earlier contents justice.

After three captivating Tests of devilish pitches, batting collapses and mystifying spin, the Border Gavaskar Trophy series finale fizzled out on a tame Ahmedabad pitch that produced just 22 wickets in five days of cricket.

Players shook hands in the final session after Travis Head (90 from 163 balls) and Marnus Labsuchagne (63 off 213) bunted and bashed the majority of the fifth day's deliveries, just two of which took wickets.

Steve Smith (10 off 59) declared 10 minutes before the final hour commenced to confirm just the second draw from India's last 20 home Tests.

The dour proceedings were a far cry from the Test being played simultaneously in Christchurch and which had a major bearing on ensuring Australia and India's men's teams will not have to wait until 2024-25 to face off again with the red ball.

Just as the two sides were returning to the middle of the Narendra Modi Stadium after lunch on Monday, New Zealand clinched a final-ball victory over Sri Lanka at Hagley Oval in thrilling style to confirm India's spot in the World Test Championship final.

With Australia having already sealed their place with their win in Indore earlier this month, the WTC decider at London's The Oval will mark the first time they have faced India in a Test on neutral territory.

The permutations of which overshadowed Head strolling to his highest Test score outside Australia, underscoring his improvement in subcontinental conditions after being dropped for the first match of this series.

A first Test ton abroad looked in the offing before Axar Patel (1-36 from 19 overs) spun one viciously through the left-hander's reaching grasp and into his off-bail, ending a 139-run second-wicket partnership with Labuschagne.

Smith pulled the pin at 3.20pm local time to see the series ledger finish exactly as it did for Australia's last Test trip to India; 2-1 in favour of the home side, their 16th consecutive home series victory.

Usman Khawaja’s lower left leg injury, suffered in a boundary-line fielding mishap on day four stopped him from opening the batting in Australia's second innings, did not need to be tested as Australia finished on 2-175.

Khawaja had looked proppy in the warm-up before play but now has close to three months to get his leg right before Australia's six-Test campaign in England, where five Ashes Tests will follow the WTC final.

Given his relative disposability and the fact his job had been successfully completed the previous evening, nightwatchman Matthew Kuhnemann did not review his lbw dismissal to Ashwin in the opening hour of play despite replays later suggesting he should have.

India, having seized a 91-run first-innings lead thanks to first-innings tons from Shubman Gill and Sheryas Iyer, were the only side with a plausible path to victory day five's outset.

But, as the Aussies saw off India's attempts to penetrate their defences, the intensity of the contest gradually dwindled to the point where the part-time spin of Shubman Gill and Chesteshwar Pujara was employed to kill the final minutes of the series.

Border-Gavaskar Qantas Tour of India 2023

February 9-13: India won by an innings and 132 runs

February 17-21: India won by six wickets

March 1-5: Australia won by nine wickets

March 9-13: Match drawn

All matches broadcast live and exclusive on Fox Cricket and Kayo Sports

Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Matt Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Lance Morris, Todd Murphy, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson

India squad: Rohit Sharma (c), KL Rahul (vc), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KS Bharat, Ishan Kishan, Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Suryakumar Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat