Australia

CA ruled that the opening batter would never hold a leadership role again due to his part in the 2018 Newlands ball-tampering scandal.

Warner, who was said to have played a key role in Cameron Bancroft using sandpaper to alter the condition of the ball during the Test against South Africa in Cape Town, had been touted as a candidate to replace Aaron Finch as ODI skipper following his retirement from the format in September.

While Pat Cummins was named as Finch's successor last month, the door may be open to Warner captaining his country in the future after CA amended its code of conduct.

Players were previously unable to appeal against sanctions after accepting them, but Warner is relieved to have the opportunity to seek a review of his ban under a new policy.

"I'm not a criminal," Warner said on Monday. "You should get a right of an appeal at some stage. I understand that they put a ban in place, but banning someone for life, I think it's a bit harsh.

"Where it's been disappointing is it's taken this long to get to where it has. It was brought up in I think February this year. So it's been drawn out.

"It's traumatic for me and my family and everyone else that was involved in it. We haven't needed to go back into that detail. We don't need to relive what happened.

"But it's good to get in a position where we are now today. It gives me an opportunity to ring up the integrity unit to have a word to them and put forward my case of, I guess, the 100 hours [of community service] that I did in 2018.

"Basically, all this good behaviour stuff that I've done, I think I have to put forward, so I'm happy to do that."

In a statement released on Monday, CA said: "Players and support staff can now apply to have long-term sanctions modified.

"Any applications will be considered by a three-person review panel, comprising independent code of conduct commissioners, which must be satisfied that exceptional circumstances exist to justify modifying a sanction."

CA's new policy allows for the panel to modify punishments if it is felt the recipient has "demonstrated genuine remorse" or shown good behaviour since the ruling, while they will also consider the length of time which has passed since a sanction was issued.

Lyon sustained a significant calf tear on the second day and has been on crutches since, but defied the pain to walk out as last man during Australia’s second innings on Saturday afternoon.

Australia’s frontline spinner limped on to a standing ovation and bravely batted for 25 minutes in a 13-ball innings of four that saw the tourists move on from 264 for nine to 279 all out, which set England 371 to win.

“I have been absolutely shattered, I have been in tears, upset and I have been hurting, but this team means everything for me,” Lyon reflected after England closed on 114 for four, still requiring 257 runs for a series-levelling victory.

“Yes, I have been having conversations since it happened with our medical team and I knew the risk. But the way I look at it, I will do anything for this team and you never know how big a 15-run partnership can be in an Ashes series.

“So, yes I am proud of myself for going out there and doing that.

“If it was tomorrow, I would do it again and again and again because I love this team, I love playing for Australia.”

Lyon was on crutches at the start of day four but in an extraordinary sequence of events in the afternoon session, he started to make his way through the pavilion down to the pitch when Pat Cummins was out to leave the tourists on 261 for eight in the 96th over.

With the 35-year-old in major discomfort every time he walked, Lyon hopped down the stairs and waited in the long room at Lord’s until Josh Hazlewood’s dismissal brought him to the crease.

Before his courageous innings, Lyon encountered England veteran James Anderson, who was off the field at the time.

Lyon added: “I have played against Jimmy for a long period of time now and I have a lot of respect for him. He asked, ‘Am I stupid? And I said, ‘Yes, but I may have to do a you and go to 40.’

“He said, ‘if you keep loving the game and keep trying to get better there is no reason why you can’t,’ so that was a nice little moment with Jimmy.

“Regarding batting, I had to go down to the long room and wait because I would have been timed out otherwise. The lifts here are pretty slow so I had to go down the stairs, I didn’t know how long Josh would hang in there for.

“It was interesting being in the long room, rather than being in the pavilion. It felt like I was in the zoo. A lot of eyes on me, watching what I was doing, what we were saying but I will do anything for this team.”

Ahead of his surprise cameo, speculation had started about whether Lyon would pad up and to what benefit.

Former England captain Kevin Pietersen was not alone among broadcast pundits in suggesting that Lyon taking a blow to the helmet may benefit Australia if it allowed them to bring in Todd Murphy as a concussion substitute.

Pietersen described the scenario as “food for thought” on Sky Sports, but Lyon was deeply unimpressed by the suggestion.

Lyon’s friend and team-mate Phil Hughes died in 2014 after being hit by a bouncer in the neck and the spinner vehemently shut down the notion.

He said: “I have heard comments that people thought I went out there to get hit on the head and I am really against that.

“I lost one of my mates due to being hit in the head so I think that is a really poor excuse or conversation to be had.”

While Lyon would not confirm his Ashes was over, he backed reserve spinner Murphy, 22, to leave his mark on the tour.

Australia’s chief spinner Lyon, who was playing his 100th consecutive Test, will have a meeting with the team’s medical staff on Sunday over the best course of action for his rehabilitation.

“This is just a little speed bump in the road, this is not career-defining or anything like that,” Lyon stated.

“I am sitting down with our medical team tomorrow and we will have a chat. Right now, it is pretty shattering, pretty gutting and I am pretty speechless if I am honest.”

England’s unabashed commitment to the attacking principles of ‘Bazball’ saw them lose a thrilling first Ashes Test to Australia at Edgbaston, with the hosts driving the game forward to a tense conclusion that ended in defeat by two wickets.

The England dressing room has not blinked over the risks that they took along the way, with Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum insisting they are on the right track.

Now Root has joined the chorus, insisting the only thing he would change if he had his time again is not bringing a similarly aggressive style during his own reign.

Root led his country in a record 64 Tests over five and a half years, walking away last April after overseeing a draining run of one win in 17.

As the team’s most accomplished batter he has let loose since returning to the ranks, scoring five centuries and averaging 67.31, but wishes he had taken Stokes’ bold approach when he was at the helm.

Asked if England would like to go back to day one at Edgbaston and reverse their declaration after just 78 overs, the fastest in Ashes history, he said: “That’s not what we’re about as a team. If I could go back in time, I’d go back and start my captaincy tenure the way Ben has and try to play in a similar manner to how he does it.

“It’s far more exciting, far more interesting and I think we are getting more out of our team and our individuals. We’re playing better cricket to watch and producing better results overall.

“A lot of times that would peter out to a draw. The wicket we had was very slow, it could have made for a long, mundane game, but the way we went about it we gave ourselves a great opportunity to win the Test match.

“If are going to grow as a team we can’t just look at a couple of moments going against us and say ‘we need to do things differently’. If anything we need to double down on how we do it, completely back ourselves and make sure we get those one per centers right at Lord’s.

“We feel like we’ve ran the game for five days and we might be on the wrong end of it but there’s still so much more to come in that dressing room. It’s a great spot to be in.”

Apart from sheer weight of runs, one of Root’s most significant contributions to the new era of English cricket is his frequent use of an unconventional reverse ramp shot against pace bowlers.

Root uses the stroke to take advantage of gaps in the field, turning accurate deliveries into boundary options, but also to make a statement of intent against quicks who are unused to being treated with such apparent disdain.

Even so, his decision to deploy it off the first ball of a finely poised fourth day against Australia captain Pat Cummins was a remarkable one. Root made no contact on that occasion, but was undeterred enough to use it twice more in the next over – hitting Scott Boland for six and four.

“I don’t feel like Superman, I’m absolutely bricking it when the bowler’s running in to bowl most of the time,” he said of his mindset.

“Coming out first ball of the day, it was more about being 28 for two and it was a chance to lay a marker down. To say to everyone in the ground – the dressing room, the crowd – we are not here to be bowled at, we’re here to push the game on.

“I think that’s how we all look at the game now, from any position we feel like we can get somewhere to go on and win.”

Root also enjoyed an unexpectedly central role with the ball as the first Test reached its conclusion, sending down 15 overs in the fourth innings as Moeen Ali struggled with a burst blister on his right index finger.

McCullum has said Moeen will play in Wednesday’s second Test if fit, but if concerns linger over the injury, England could go two ways. They could send for a replacement, such as Surrey’s Will Jacks, but they could also continue to rely on Root’s part-time off-spin and use the chance to bring in Mark Wood’s 90mph pace.

“I think Mo will be absolutely fine, I’m sure he will be, but it’s always great when you get a chance to contribute to any Test match,” said Root.

“You want to get involved and step up in those big moments. I’m always ready for a chance to take Test wickets.”

The infamous incident happened during the 1995 Australia tour of the Caribbean, in a tightly contested third Test in Port of Spain, Trinidad.  As it happened, a visibly bristling Ambrose had to be pulled away from Aussie batsman Steve Waugh after an obviously heated exchange that looked set to boil over.  It was a strange sight for most as the towering fast bowler was known for being reluctant to exchange pleasantries, let alone be involved a full-on verbal joust.  Ambrose recently recalled the incident.

  “Steve Waugh and I had our battles over the years. He was a tough competitor and I have a lot of respect for him but in that particular game, he said something to me that I didn’t like,” Ambrose recounted in an interview with Sky Sports Cricket Podcast.

“Initially I ignored it, as in the heat of the battle you can say things, but after a break, something just snapped,” he went on.

“I asked him, ‘did you say so and so to me?’ He didn’t say yes, he didn’t say no. He just said ‘I can say anything I want to say’ which to me was a yes. I decided I deserved more respect so I had a few choice words for him.

“I said ‘my cricket career could be over right this minute, it doesn’t make a difference to me, but your career will be over, too, because I’ll knock you out and you won’t be able to play anymore’. There were a few expletives in between obviously!

Ambrose, who was named player of the match, went on to end the Test with overall figures of 9 for 65, including a 4 for 20 haul in the second innings.  The West Indies went on to win the match by nine wickets but Australia claimed the Frank Worrell Trophy after winning the series 2-1.  The West Indian has insisted that are no hard feelings between the two, but it has not been a subject that has been broached in any encounters since.

Introduced to help bring context to 50-over cricket at the highest level, the Super League will be used as a qualification system for the next ICC World Cup, scheduled for 2023 in India.

There will be 13 teams involved – the 12 full members, as well as the Netherlands – and the top seven in the final table will automatically secure their place at the global tournament, the ICC confirmed in a statement.

All sides will play four series at home and away, with each consisting of three matches.

"The league will bring relevance and context to ODI cricket over the next three years, as qualification for the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 is at stake," Geoff Allardice, ICC general manager for cricket operations, said.

"The Super League gives cricket fans around the world even more reasons to watch as the drama of league cricket unfolds.

"The decision last week to move the World Cup back to late 2023 gives us more time to schedule any games lost due to COVID-19 and preserve the integrity of the qualification process, meaning it will be decided on the field of play, which is important."

Reigning world champions England will kick things off this week when they start their series against Ireland, the first of three matches between the teams taking place at the Rose Bowl on Thursday.

"We're looking forward to playing cricket again and to the ICC Men's World Cup Super League," England white-ball captain Eoin Morgan said.

"Given the situation, it will be quite different to the last time we played at home, when we lifted the World Cup at Lord's, but it's nice to be starting our journey for the next edition of the tournament. 

"I'm sure cricket fans all over the world will be excited to see white-ball cricket resume and we're looking forward to the challenge."

Australia won the opening match of the series by six wickets on a surface Proteas captain Dean Elgar described as potentially "unsafe".

it was the second-shortest Test ever in the country, with 34 wickets falling in just 144.2 overs in Brisbane - where the tourists were skittled out for only 99 in their second innings after posting a mere 152 all out in their first.

Governing body the ICC on Tuesday delivered their assessment of the track, slapping the venue with one demerit point.

 ICC elite panel of match referees member Richie Richardson said: "Overall, the Gabba pitch for this Test match was too much in favour of the bowlers.

"There was extra bounce and occasional excessive seam movement. The odd delivery also kept low on the second day, making it very difficult for batters to build partnerships.

"I found the pitch to be 'below average' as per the ICC guidelines since it was not an even contest between bat and ball."

If the venue incurs demerit points, which are active over a rolling five-year period, it would be banned from hosting any international cricket for a period of 12 months.

According to ESPNCricinfo, April 24 was selected as the date to unveil the gates to mark Tendulkar's 50th birthday as well as the 30^th anniversary of Lara's 277 at the SCG, his first Test century, though that Test was played in January 1993.

"The Sydney Cricket Ground has been my favourite ground away from India," Tendulkar said in a statement released by Cricket Australia.

"I have had some great memories at the SCG right from my first tour of Australia in 1991-92. It is a great honour to have the gates used by all visiting cricketers to access the field of play at the SCG named after me and my good friend Brian," he added.

"I'm deeply honoured to be recognised at the Sydney Cricket Ground, as I'm sure Sachin is,” Lara said.

“The ground holds many special memories for me and my family and I always enjoy visiting whenever I'm in Australia," Lara added.

That innings of 277 remained Lara's highest at the SCG. He totalled 384 runs at the ground in four Tests overall while Tendulkar had an average of 157 at the SCG, scoring 785 runs in five Tests over the years with three centuries, including a memorable 241 not out in January 2004.

The statement also outlines that the gates will be used by visiting players to access the field.

On hand to unveil the gates were SCG and Venues NSW Chairman Rod McGeoch AO, and CEO Kerrie Mather, as well as Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley.

"Sachin Tendulkar's record at the SCG is simply remarkable, while Brian Lara's maiden Test century remains one of the most celebrated innings by a visiting player," Mather said.

"Both players continue to hold a deep affection for the SCG and they remain hugely popular whenever they visit Sydney."

"As the cricketing world celebrates Sachin Tendulkar's 50th birthday, this is a fitting and timely gesture by the SCG to recognise Sachin and Brian Lara as two legends of the international game with exceptional records at the SCG,” said Hockley.

"Their feats will no doubt be an inspiration to not only visiting international teams, but all players fortunate enough to walk onto the hallowed turf of the Sydney Cricket Ground, for generations to come."

Buttler experienced a resurgence in his Test match form in England's recent series win over Pakistan and contributed 44 in the first T20I against Australia, which saw the tourists experience a batting collapse and lose by two runs.

He was in imperious form as England cruised home in their pursuit of 158 on Sunday, hitting an unbeaten 77 in a chase completed with seven balls to spare.

Man of the match in the first game, Dawid Malan hit 42 off 32 balls and Moeen Ali (13 not out) provided the finishing touches to ensure Australia's recovery from a start that saw them 30-3 after five overs was in vain.

Jofra Archer's (1-32) blistering start accounted for David Warner in the first over, his third delivery nipping back and glancing the glove of the Australia opener as he went for a duck.

Mark Wood (1-31) then had Alex Carey caught behind for two eight balls later before Steve Smith (10) was run out with a brilliant direct hit throw from England captain Eoin Morgan. 

Australia skipper Aaron Finch (40) and Marcus Stoinis (35) counter-attacked for a partnership of 49 to steady the ship.

However, Finch dragged a short ball from Chris Jordan (2-40) onto his stumps and Stoinis steered Adil Rashid (1-25) to slip, leaving Glenn Maxwell (26 off 18) and Ashton Agar (23 off 20) to guide Australia to a defendable total.

Pat Cummins (13 off five) also provided valuable runs but Buttler was in ominous form early on when he struck Cummins through the covers in the second over.

Though Jonny Bairstow (9) was out hit wicket six balls later, Buttler and Malan put England in command with a second-wicket stand of 87 as both again excelled at finding the gaps.

Malan hit seven fours before sending Agar (2-27) to deep midwicket and Tom Banton (2) and Morgan (7) were each unable to provide the support to get England over the line.

That assistance came from Moeen in the penultimate over, which saw him hammer Adam Zampa (1-42) over long-off for six and then smash the spinner over cover for four before Buttler struck the winning runs with a colossal maximum.

Australia and India will play two five-match series in the 2023-2027 FTP cycle, with the last time they have contested that many matches in a series being back in 1992.

There will be 777 internationals during the next cycle - 173 Tests, 281 ODIs and 323 T20Is - compared to 694 in the current one.

England, Australia and India will play the greatest number of Tests, featuring in 22, 21 and 20 respectively.

The next cycle will include five major ICC events, starting with the Cricket World Cup in India next year.

ICC general manager of cricket Wasim Khan said: "I'd like to thank our members for the effort that has gone into creating this FTP for the next four years.

"We are incredibly lucky to have three vibrant formats of the game, with an outstanding programme of ICC global events and strong bilateral and domestic cricket and this FTP is designed to allow all cricket to flourish."

Iyer has not played for a month, but is back in contention after completing his rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy.

The number one T20 International batter in the world will be hoping to force his way back into the middle order, although he may have to be patient after India hammered the tourists by an innings and 132 runs in Nagpur.

Iyer averages an impressive 56.72 from his seven matches in the longest format.

One player who will not feature in a second Test that starts at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Friday is paceman Jaydev Unadkat, who was released from the squad to play for Saurashtra against Bengal in the Ranji Trophy final.

A resounding victory for India over Pat Cummins side put them 1-0 up in the battle for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and also enhanced their chance of playing in the World Test Championship final at The Oval in June.

Australia are also on course to secure their place in the showdown in London, leading the race to qualify with India second.

Australia, without David Warner, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and captain Aaron Finch, posted 194-5 at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

The tourists, who won Friday's series opener by 11 runs, initially struggled to chase down their target but Hardik Pandya inspired them to a thrilling victory.

Australia were put in to bat first and Matthew Wade, named skipper in Finch's absence, made steady progress by hitting a swift half-century.

But Wade was sent packing in comical fashion after Virat Kohli dropped a catch before redeeming himself by running out his counterpart for 58.

D'Arcy Short (9) and Glenn Maxwell (22) were caught by Shreyas Iyer and Washington Sundar respectively either side of Wade's exit as Australia looked for some momentum.

Steve Smith fell just short of a half-century, managing 46 runs from 38 balls before being caught by Pandya, while Moises Henriques was caught behind soon after for 26.

India were set a target of 195 after Marcus Stoinis put 16 more runs on the board and they looked to have given themselves too much to do.

KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan scored 30 and 52 respectively, both men being taken by Mitchell Swepson, before Sanju Samson slapped straight to Smith at long-off.

Pandya's impressive batting got India, who required 72 runs off 36 balls on one point, back on track with his three fours and two sixes, either side of Kohli's departure for 40.

Joined at the crease by Iyer (12 not out) for a gripping conclusion, Pandya finished with an unbeaten 22-ball 42 to get his side over the line for a series victory with two balls to spare.

The final game of the three-match series takes place in Sydney on Tuesday, before a four-Test series starts on 17 December in Adelaide.

Australia looked to have the edge at the start of day three, resuming on 61-1 after holding a one-run lead at the innings break.

India captain Rohit feared the hosts would struggle batting last on a difficult Delhi pitch, but instead it was Australia who bowed to the conditions.

The tourists were all out for 113 by lunch, with Ravindra Jadeja enjoying career-best bowling figures of 7-42.

Ravichandran Ashwin chipped in with three vital wickets, too, and Rohit credited the pair for turning the match in India's favour ahead of a routine chase.

"It is a fantastic result for us, looking at how things were yesterday," the skipper said. "How we came back and finished the job was a great effort from the bowlers.

"Even though the deficit was just one run, I felt we were very much behind – we had to bat last.

"On a pitch like that, you have to come out and try to do different things. We knew they were going to come and play shots. For us, it was about not panicking, and we had to hit those areas rather than panicking.

"I've seen them bowl enough and take wickets in these kind of conditions. We had discussed some things in the morning that we had to do, and that worked for us.

"Look, every game you play here there is some moisture, and what I noticed in three days is it has a lot to offer in the first session.

"Then the pitch gets slower and slower and there is not enough bite in the pitch – it's something we focused on.

"I had a good chat with the bowlers and they are masters of these conditions. It was important for us to stay calm and let the mistakes happen."

Jadeja and Ashwin had also crucially contributed with the bat in India's first innings, scoring 26 and 37 respectively.

Rohit added: "When you play Test cricket, there are a lot of [big] moments, but I thought the partnerships between Virat [Kohli] and Jadeja and Axar [Patel] and Ash [were big] – to get that hundred partnership [114 between Axar and Ashwin] was never going to be easy.

"Even then, we knew we had to bowl well and restrict them to as low as possible."

Australia captain Pat Cummins, whose side now trail 2-0 in the series, said: "I thought 260 was a decent score on the first-day wicket and the guys bounced back well.

"I think they batted well – one or two partnerships – and it was evenly matched at the innings break.

"[Australia's batting] was disappointing – the pressure was right on them, but we will have to review what we could have done differently.

"It's a similar story to Nagpur. Some of it is down to planning, and it wasn't easy when Ashwin and Jadeja were bowling.

"I think both defeats [hurt] – this one particularly when we were ahead of the game."

Tim Paine's Australia batted for most of Monday and set India 328 for victory in the series decider after the hosts were bowled out for 294 midway through an extended final session.

India were 4-0 when the covers were brought out at 16:35 local time and stayed on at the Gabba, where the tourists require 324 more runs to win but only need a draw to retain the Border-Gavaskar crown, with the series deadlocked.

Australia resumed on 21-0 before Mohammed Siraj – who claimed his maiden five-for – spearheaded a chaotic collapse after the home team lost 34-4 in the morning session.

Openers Marcus Harris (38) and David Warner (48) fell victim to Shardul Thakur (4-61) and Washington Sundar (1-80) respectively, before Siraj stole the show by dismissing Marnus Labuschagne (25) and Matthew Wade (0) within three deliveries – leaving Australia 123-4.

After dropping Steve Smith on 42 and Cameron Green on 14, Siraj held his nerve to claim the prized scalp of the former Australia skipper for 55.

Green (37) did not last much longer as Thakur also sent Paine (27) back to the pavilion, with the Australians 242-7.

After umpires brought the tea break forward due to wet weather, Australia's tail tried to add to the total – Pat Cummins' unbeaten 28 and a quick-fire 13 from spinner Nathan Lyon aiding their cause.

India pair Rohit Sharma (4 not out) and Shubman Gill (0) will return to the crease as the thrilling series heads for a draw.

Siraj celebrates maiden five-for

It was a day to remember for Siraj, who broke through for his first five-wicket haul in Test cricket.

After making his Test debut on Boxing Day in Melbourne, the 26-year-old has made an immediate impact for the touring side.

All eyes on Paine

Has Paine given Australia enough time to win and reclaim the Border-Gavaskar trophy? With wet weather in Brisbane, his decision to bat for much of the penultimate day before being bowled out has raised questions.

More rain is forecast for Tuesday.

Led by Shubman Gill (91), Rishabh Pant (89 not out) and Cheteshwar Pujara (56), India incredibly passed their target of 328 late on day five on Tuesday.

It wrapped up a 2-1 series victory and ended Australia's stellar record at the Gabba, where they were unbeaten in their previous 31 Tests.

Pat Cummins (4-55) was the pick of Australia's bowlers, but India managed the third highest successful chase in their history and highest at the Gabba.

Rohit Sharma (7) fell early after edging Cummins behind, but Gill and Pujara blunted the Australia attack with a 114-run partnership.

Gill was the aggressor, while Pujara survived a tight lbw review off Nathan Lyon (2-85) when on just two.

Lyon had Gill caught by Steve Smith at first slip before Cummins removed Ajinkya Rahane following the captain's 22-ball 24.

The second new ball brought a much-needed breakthrough for Australia as Cummins finally got Pujara lbw, but Pant continued to impress.

As the dangerous Pant passed 50, Mayank Agarwal (9) survived following a review for a caught behind, but he scooped Cummins to Matthew Wade at short cover the following ball.

Washington Sundar (22 off 29) came and went, but Pant saw India to a remarkable win.

Pant times his run to perfection

His wicketkeeping often questioned, Pant produced the match-winning innings on the final day – and he timed it to perfection.

Just three overs were left when India wrapped up their victory, Pant perfectly choosing when to attack and keeping his composure as late wickets fell to lead India to a famous win.

Pujara highlights India bravery

Pujara's innings was just another example of India's fight throughout the series. The right-hander faced 211 balls in the second innings and he was hit repeatedly, including on the hand and in the head, but continued to battle on.

India were struck hard by injuries and saw Virat Kohli return home for the birth of his first child following the opening Test, which they lost after being dismissed for 36. Rahane stepped up in Melbourne and they managed to frustrate Australia in Sydney before a stunning victory in Brisbane.

Starc's struggles hurt Australia

Seemingly dealing with a hamstring injury on the final day, Mitchell Starc's struggles continued as he finished with figures of 0-75.

The left-arm paceman was particularly expensive and barely troubled India, who managed to contain him throughout the series. Starc finished with 11 wickets at 40.72 for the series, while the tourists also had answers to Lyon (nine wickets at 55.11).

Travis Head (90), Marnus Labuschagne (63no) and Steven Smith (10) took Australia to 175-2 and 84 runs ahead when handshakes were exchanged at Narendra Modi Stadium, with the hosts keeping hold of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

With New Zealand beating Sri Lanka with the final ball earlier on Monday, India will now look ahead to the WTC Final at the Oval in England in June – where they will face Australia again.

A largely uneventful day of cricket in Ahmedabad favoured the batters, with India having established a 91-run first-innings lead on Sunday.

Matthew Kuhnemann (six) fell early to an lbw from Ravichandran Ashwin (1-58) but Australia found their batting rhythm with Head and Labuschagne forging a 139-run stand before Axar Patel (1-36) dismissed the former.

On a slow pitch, no further wickets fell and the only question heading into the final session was whether Labuschagne could achieve what Head fell just short of – reaching a century.

However, the teams shook hands at the earliest possible opportunity, with 17.5 overs remaining, to declare a draw and confirm a fourth-successive Border-Gavaskar Trophy series that ended 2-1 to India.

Head falls short

On a day that offered little excitement, Head hit 12 boundaries to finish agonisingly short of reaching his first Test hundred overseas.

However, a score of 90 now stands as Head's highest tally not on Australian soil, with a total of 760 runs in the 2022-23 season his best ever.

Patel limits Australia

The pitch in Ahmedabad did not favour bowlers yet it was navigated well by Patel, who brought the end to Head's charge for a century.

In 19 overs, Australia scored 36 runs with Patel bowling to result in an economy rate of 1.89 – the second-lowest tally on the day from a player with more than five overs.

Rohit Sharma was the star, hitting an excellent 92 off 41 balls to set India on their way to the win, with defeat leaving Australia in a precarious position.

Virat Kohli was out for a duck after being caught off Josh Hazlewood early on (2-14), but Sharma took control, getting his half-century off just 19 balls.

He was eventually bowled out by Mitchell Starc (2-45), but the damage was already done, as Suryakumar Yadav (31), Shivam Dube (28) and Hardik Pandya (27no) helped India to 205-5.

Australia started their innings strongly though, as Travis Head hit 76, but he was caught by Sharma after Axal Patel pulled off an incredible one-handed catch to dismiss Mitchell Marsh for 37.

The chase stalled somewhat after that, with Arshdeep Singh getting two late wickets to finish on 3-37, limiting Australia to just 181-7.

India will face England in the semi-finals, but defeat for Australia means they will be out of the tournament if Afghanistan beat Bangladesh. They could also miss out on net run rate if the result is flipped and Bangladesh get a big enough victory.

Data Debrief: Sharma on top

Sharma's knock of 92 included seven fours and eight sixes, and it means that he leapfrogs to the top of the charts.

He is now the top scorer for India in T20Is with 4165 runs, going past Virat Kohli's 4103, and is also the top-scorer in T20Is overall, moving above Babar Azam's tally of 4145.

Jasprit Bumrah (4-56), Ravichandran Ashwin (3-35) and Mohammed Siraj (2-40) helped India bowl Australia out for 195 after the hosts decided to bat first on a warm day at the MCG.

Marnus Labuschagne (48) and Travis Head (38) provided most of the resistance, but India's bowlers were on top throughout in Melbourne.

Bumrah and Ashwin were joined by debutant Siraj in impressing in a perfect start after India's capitulation in the series opener in Adelaide.

Another debutant, Shubman Gill, got to 28 not out at stumps, India – without captain Virat Kohli – getting to 36-1, trailing by 159 runs, at the close of play with Cheteshwar Pujara (7) also unbeaten.

India's bowlers got plenty of movement and spin from the outset despite the beautiful conditions to begin the Boxing Day Test.

Joe Burns' position at the top of the order is set to again come under question after the right-hander was consistently beaten before edging Bumrah behind to Rishabh Pant to fall for a duck.

In contrast, Matthew Wade (30) had looked fluent to begin his innings, but a reckless shot off Ashwin saw him waste his start.

The big wicket of Steve Smith (0) followed, the star – who has dominated at the MCG previously – caught by Pujara at leg gully off Ashwin.

Labuschagne needed a review to survive before lunch as he steadied the innings with an 86-run stand alongside Head, but that was as much resistance as Australia managed.

The impressive Siraj continued to cause problems, removing Cameron Green (12), while Tim Paine fell for 13.

Fresh off bowling India out for their lowest ever score of 36 in the second innings in Adelaide, Australia's pacemen looked capable of doing early damage again.

Mitchell Starc (1-14) trapped Mayank Agarwal lbw for a duck but Gill countered, although he was dropped by Labuschagne off Pat Cummins (0-14) as India were left in a strong position.

Australia had appeared well poised as play resumed in Delhi, having edged the first innings by a run and ended the previous day on 61-1.

But hopes of levelling the series swiftly vanished as Pat Cummins' side were all out for 113 by lunch.

A routine chase of 115 was completed before tea, although Jadeja was the obvious star of the show for India with figures of 7-42.

He had removed Usman Khawaja the previous day, but it was Ravichandran Ashwin (3-59) who set in motion a remarkable stretch by having Travis Head (43) caught behind and then trapping Steve Smith.

Smith's partnership of 20 with Marnus Labuschagne would prove Australia's most productive of the day as the number three batsman was the next to go when Jadeja kept the ball low to bowl him for 35.

Ashwin got Matt Renshaw lbw, then Jadeja had Peter Handscomb caught in the slips to signal a drinks break. From the very next ball, the rampant Jadeja bowled Cummins with another low delivery.

Repeated attempts by Australia to sweep played into Jadeja's hands, and he quickly wrapped up the innings with the dismissals of Alex Carey, Nathan Lyon and Matthew Kuhnemann.

The final eight wickets fell for just 28 runs, and India's batsmen quickly capitalised despite losing KL Rahul in the second over.

Rohit Sharma scored 31, matched by Cheteshwar Pujara in an unbeaten innings as the hosts reached 118-4 inside 27 overs for a 2-0 series lead.

Day of joy for Jadeja

Jadeja's previous best figures had seen him take 7 for 48 against England back in December 2016, but he managed to improve on that stunning performance.

Indeed, the bowler needed only 12.1 overs this time – versus 25 against England – and required little help from his team-mates, bowling five of the six batsmen he removed on Sunday.

Milestone for Kohli

India did not need any heroes with the bat, but Virat Kohli was still able to pass a milestone in scoring 20 before he was stumped by Carey.

That short 31-ball innings took him past 25,000 runs for India across Tests, ODIs and T20Is.

Smith scored his 27th Test ton as Australia posted 338 in their first innings at the SCG on Friday.

After resuming at 166-2, the hosts looked in position to put together a score of over 400, but aside from Smith (131) and Marnus Labuschagne (91), to go with Will Pucovski's debut half-century, their batting line-up largely struggled.

Ravindra Jadeja (4-62) did most of the damage for India, although they were unable to contain Smith.

The 31-year-old, who scored just 10 runs in the opening two Tests, looked back to his best, his latest Test century moving him level with Allan Border for the sixth most for Australia.

His eighth century against India also equalled the record for the most against the nation.

Shubman Gill (50) led India's response as they reached 96-2 at stumps, trailing by 242 runs, with Ajinkya Rahane (5) – who survived a late lbw review off Nathan Lyon (0-35) – and Cheteshwar Pujara (9) unbeaten heading into day three.

Josh Hazlewood (1-23) took a sharp return chance on his 30th birthday to remove Rohit Sharma (26) and Cameron Green took a good catch off Pat Cummins (1-19) as Gill departed, but India – coming off a win in Melbourne that levelled the series at 1-1 – looked otherwise comfortable.

Australia had appeared similarly at ease, but they lost 132-8 to finish their innings.

While Smith and Labuschagne's 100-run partnership was broken by a good catch by Rahane, Matthew Wade (13) played a loose shot before Jasprit Bumrah (2-66) made the most of the second new ball to remove Green (0) and Tim Paine (1).

Some late hitting from Mitchell Starc (24) boosted Australia as Smith accelerated before a brilliant piece of fielding by Jadeja ended the innings.

Australia looked in position to take a 2-1 series lead, needing eight wickets on the final day at the SCG, but were left frustrated by a stubborn India batting line-up and costly dropped catches.

Rishabh Pant (97), Cheteshwar Pujara (77), Hanuma Vihari (23 off 161 balls) and Ravichandran Ashwin (39 off 128 balls) helped ensure India were level heading into the final Test in Brisbane starting on Friday.

The SCG pitch played few tricks on day five, and Pant even had India dreaming of an amazing win, the tourists eventually finishing at 334-5, 73 runs adrift of a victory they stopped chasing after Vihari hurt his hamstring.

Josh Hazlewood (2-39) and Nathan Lyon (2-114) made breakthroughs, but Australia were unable to do enough in a Test they looked destined to win as Tim Paine dropped three catches.

Australia landed an early blow as Lyon had Ajinkya Rahane (4) caught at short leg by Matthew Wade.

But Pant – who suffered an elbow injury on Saturday – was put down twice by Paine, on three and 56, off Lyon, and he counter-attacked superbly to put the pressure on the off-spinner.

Pujara brought up 6,000 Test runs, the 11th Indian to achieve the feat as he continued to frustrate Australia.

Pant looked capable of leading India to a shock victory before falling just short of a third Test century, caught by Pat Cummins at gully after trying to attack Lyon again.

The second new ball brought a key wicket for Australia as Hazlewood produced a wonderful delivery to bowl Pujara.

A pair of reviews were unable to get Ashwin, who was dropped on 15, a diving Sean Abbott – on for the injured Will Pucovski (shoulder) – unable to hold onto a tough chance.

Vihari and Ashwin, showing no intent to score, remained stoic and defended well against an increasingly desperate Australia.

Paine dropped another chance after Vihari edged a Mitchell Starc (0-66) delivery and it proved to be the final opportunity as India held on for a draw.