India

Although the capacity will be halved due to coronavirus restrictions amid the pandemic, there will still be up to 55,000 allowed into the biggest cricket venue in the world for the third Test in Ahmedabad.  

Ravichandran Ashwin was the star of the show on his home ground in Chennai as India levelled the series at 1-1, the all-rounder taking match figures of 8-96 and scoring a sublime second-innings century on a pitch that turned sharply from day one. 

The seamers will be hoping playing under floodlights with a pink ball will give them more of a chance to make an impact when the third Test starts on Wednesday, though spin will still be expected to play a major part in proceedings. 

India paceman Ishant Sharma is poised to make his 100th appearance in the longest format, while Ashwin is closing in on 400 Test scalps. 

James Anderson and Jofra Archer are set to return to the England side, with Chris Woakes pushing for a place along with Jonny Bairstow and Mark Wood - the latter two are back in the squad after being given a break following the tour of Sri Lanka. 

England all-rounder Moeen Ali will not feature after heading home and India have brought fast bowler Umesh Yadav into the squad, releasing Shardul Thakur. 

Captain Joe Root gave nothing away when asked about selection on the eve of the match. 

He said: "We are going to take our time with the limited information we have on this ground, on pink-ball cricket. We are going to make sure we give ourselves as much information as possible before we make that decision."

Century up for Ishant, Ashwin closing in on 400

Ishant is set to become only the 11th player for India to reach 100 Tests, having already marked this series with a milestone after taking his 300th wicket in the longest format. 

The pace bowler has taken 76 Test scalps at an average of just 19.3 since 2018 and could thrive in the conditions. 

Ashwin, the hero of the second Test, is just six wickets short of the 400 landmark - a feat only Anil Kumble, Kapil Dev and Harbhajan Singh have achieved for India. 

The off-spinner has taken 17 wickets in the series at 17.82 apiece with a strike rate of 40.4. Jack Leach is the second-highest wicket-taker with 12.

Anderson ready to shine under the lights

After playing a big hand in England's victory in the first Test in Chennai, Anderson was understandably frustrated to be omitted for the second match at the same venue.

The seamer said he understands the tourists' rotation policy in such a demanding year, though, and is raring to go with the pink ball.

England's leading Test wicket-taker has claimed 14 scalps at an average of 17.85 in three day-night Tests and should pose a massive threat to the India batsmen.

He said: "All the seam bowlers want really is a bit of carry, which we haven't really had throughout the series. We're keeping our fingers crossed there's a bit more in it for the seamers."

Key match facts

- India were bowled out for only 36 in their last day-night Test against Australia in Adelaide in December. England also endured a pink-ball nightmare when they were skittled out for just 58 by New Zealand in March 2018. 

- India have managed one win and a defeat in their two day-night Tests. England have been beaten in two of the three day-night contests they have played in the longest format.  

- This will be the third Test encounter between India and England at Motera Stadium. India have won once there, with Cheteshwar Pujara making a Test-best 206 not out in November 2012. The other meeting ended in a draw. 

- Only Niroshan Dickwella (seven in 19 games) has claimed more Test stumpings than Ben Foakes since November 2018 (five). The England wicketkeeper has only played six Tests in that time. 

- Rory Burns has been dismissed by Ashwin in three of his four innings in the series, scoring just 33 runs. 

Rain on Friday meant the International Cricket Council (ICC) showpiece match could not get under way as planned at the Ageas Bowl, with players seen splashing through puddles on the outfield as they checked out the conditions.

The decision to call off the day's scheduled play came at close to 14:45 local time. Weather forecasts for the area suggest rain could be a factor on several days of the match.

Wednesday has been set aside as a reserve day, to allow the teams to make up any time lost if necessary.

The ICC said on Twitter: "Due to persistent rain, play has been abandoned on day one of the #WTC21 Final in Southampton."

Jasprit Bumrah was set to return to action for India after recovering from a back injury, but his first appearance since September will have to wait.

Home captain Virat Kohli won the toss and chose to bowl, yet early evening rain meant there was no play possible, to the disappointment of a large crowd at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium.

Spectators entertained themselves with a mass singalong while waiting for news of pitch inspections, before a final decision was announced shortly before 10pm local time.

The second game in the three-match series is scheduled for Tuesday at the Holkar Stadium in Indore.

The 29-year-old opener was admitted to hospital on Saturday after suffering from discomfort in his abdomen.

No timeframe has been placed on his recovery but he will be absent from Punjab Kings' Indian Premier League fixture against Delhi Capitals in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

A statement from Punjab Kings said: "KL Rahul complained of severe abdomen pain and, after not responding to medication, he was taken for further tests which revealed that he was diagnosed with acute appendicitis.

"It will be resolved surgically and for safety measures he has been transferred to the hospital."

Rahul is the top runscorer in the 2021 IPL with 331 runs in seven matches at an average of 66.20 and a strike rate of 136.21.

He has the best all-time batting average in IPL history with 2,978 runs in 88 matches at 46.53 and a strike rate of 135.85.

The right-hand batsman has played 36 Tests, 38 ODIs and 49 T20 internationals for India.

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.

India were routine winners in the series opener at the Ageas Bowl on Thursday and their score of 170-8 on Saturday proved far too much for England, whose star-studded batting line-up wilted to 121 all out.

The tourists played with the aggression of a team sensing their chance to claim an unassailable lead in the three-match series, captain Rohit Sharma (31) and Rishabh Pant (26) putting on 49 in under five overs for the opening wicket.

Rohit was removed by 34-year-old debutant Richard Gleeson as Buttler took a stunning diving catch, and the Lancashire bowler then claimed a memorable double-wicket maiden by dismissing Virat Kohli and Pant in successive deliveries.

Hardik Pandya denied Gleeson a hat-trick but he was one of four batters to fall to the excellent Chris Jordan, Hardik departing in the subsequent delivery after Jordan had removed Suryakumar Yadav in a superb 11th over.

India were wobbling on 89-5 at that stage but Ravindra Jadeja counter-attacked with an unbeaten 46 in 29 deliveries to give them something to defend.

They took the task of doing so immediately, Jason Roy edging Bhuvneshwar Kumar behind for a first-ball duck before Buttler was given out to the same bowler on review for just four.

Liam Livingstone (15) also departed cheaply at the hands of Jasprit Bumrah, England continuing to lose wickets in an innings that lacked impetus until Moeen Ali (35 off 21) offered some.

His exit, and those of Jordan and Gleeson, left David Willey (33 not out) protecting the final wicket, which fell when Harshal Patel uprooted Matt Parkinson's stumps.

Bhuvi gets Buttler (again), and then some

Bhuvneshwar dismissed Buttler for a duck in the first game at Southampton and he proved a thorn in the dangerous skipper's side again, the seamer the pick of the bowlers as his 3-15 turned the match firmly in India's favour.

Rohit's streak continues

Rohit has now captained India's T20I side to victory in 14 successive matches. His run of 13 was already a record and with India claiming back-to-back emphatic victories over one of the world's best white-ball sides, they look in excellent shape for the T20 World Cup later in the year.

More wickets have fallen in a single day just four times in the history of Test cricket, with ball dominating bat throughout three breathless sessions that ushered the game towards a rapid conclusion at Newlands.

At stumps South Africa were 62 for three in the second innings, only 36 behind after India had lost their last six wickets for no runs in the space of 11 deliveries. From 153 for four they were rounded up in successive overs by the inspired pairing of Lungi Ngidi and Kagiso Rabada without adding to their total.

Dean Elgar, South Africa’s retiring stand-in captain, suffered the ignominy of ending his international batting career with two dismissals on the same day but at least shared that pain with team-mates Tony de Zorzi and Tristan Stubbs.

Elgar had won the toss and opted to bat in the morning but saw his decision blow up spectacularly as India skittled the hosts for their lowest Test score in 92 years.

Mohammed Siraj did most of the damage with figures of six for 15, with two apiece for Jasprit Bumrah and Mukesh Kumar, the latter without conceding a run, as the innings subsided in less than 24 overs.

India took the lead in just 10 overs after lunch, Rohit Sharma taking the attack to the home seamers with a rapid 39. The tourists were primed to hammer home a big advantage at 105 for two with Shubman Gill (36) and Virat Kohli (46) at the crease, but there was another twist in the tale.

Things took a huge handbrake turn in the 33rd over when Ngidi dismissed KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja and Bumrah in a triple-wicket maiden.

Unbelievably, three more fell in the next five deliveries at the other end, Rabada taking care of Kohli and Prasidh Krishna either side of Siraj’s run out.

The third innings of the day got under way in the evening session, Kumar picking up two more and Bumrah adding a third as Aiden Markram’s 36 not out offered some belated resistance from the Proteas.

The 28-year-old, who had been named in India's squad for the tournament in Australia starting this month, will be forced to watch from the sidelines in a major blow to the team's prospects.

The decision to withdraw Bumrah was taken after he missed India's T20I series with South Africa and comes "following a detailed assessment and in consultation with the specialists", per a BCCI statement.

The BCCI did not specify the exact nature of his injury, although it is reported to be a back stress fracture.

A replacement will be named imminently, with fellow pace bowlers Mohammed Shami and Deepak Chahar both on the reserve list.

India open their campaign against rivals Pakistan in Melbourne on October 23.

The quick bowler, the third fastest man to reach 150 wickets in the format, was originally named for the three-game series, only to pull up with a shoulder injury.

Malik, who only made his ODI debut last month against New Zealand, will be his replacement for the tour.

"[Shami] is currently under the supervision of the BCCI Medical Team and will not be able to take part in the three-match series," read an official statement.

Shami will hope to recover in time to feature in the two-match Test series against Bangladesh which follows, for which he has also been named.

India are hoping to pick up a first white-ball win since their T20 series with New Zealand last month, after the pair's ODI encounters were heavily affected by rain.

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."

After losing their opener to Zimbabwe in their first game after the World Cup, India made no mistake in Kandy as they took a 1-0 lead in this three-game series, piling misery on their hosts.

India made a strong start through openers Yashavi Jaiswal (40) and Shubman Gill (34) before Suryakumar Yadav's 58 carried them to 150 before he was dismissed.

Rishabh Pant fell just short of a half-century as he helped India's charge, though that soon stalled thanks to Matheesha Pathirana, whose impressive performance saw him finish with 4-40.

With India stopped at 213-7, Sri Lanka made a steady start, with Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis combining for 84 before the latter was caught for 45.

Two quick wickets from Axar Patel in the 15th over soon ended any hopes of Sri Lanka coming out on top, though, as Nissanka (79) and Kusal Perera (20) were both taken.

The hosts soon collapsed, losing their last seven wickets in just over four overs as they were bowled out for 170.

Data Debrief: India go from strength to strength

Gambhir could not have asked for a better performance at the start of his tenure with India, with their late performance in the field proving vital.

Just when Sri Lanka looked to be mounting a real attack to chase down the target of 214, they lost nine wickets from their final 5.2 overs to be bowled out well short of their target, with Patal and Arshdeep Singh both getting two wickets each.

The hosts' first game since their disappointing World Cup campaign did not quite go to plan, and they will be looking to bounce back on Sunday.

Opener Rahul built on his overnight half-century to top score with 84 and he and all-rounder Jadeja (56) combined in a vital 60-run stand for the sixth wicket that took Virat Kohli's side past the tourists' 183 all out.

Ollie Robinson continued his impressive start to life on the field in Test cricket with 5-85, while James Anderson's 4-54 moved him above Anil Kumble and up to third on the all-time wickets list in the longest format.

Jaspit Bumrah swung merrily for 28 but he and his fellow India seamers were unable to make inroads as Rory Burns (11 not out) and Dom Sibley (9 not out) reached 25-0 before the weather heralded an early close.

Rishabh Pant's curious 20-ball 25 came to an end when he skewed an ugly shot to Jonny Bairstow at cover off Robinson, immediately after a slashed four through the slips and a top-edged six.

Rahul's knock was far from chanceless, with some slapdash running and Anderson having him dropped by Sibley and skipper Joe Root in the cordon.

The veteran paceman had his man when Rahul edged a full one through to Jos Buttler with the score on 205 and Root atoned by clinging on to remove Shardul Thakur for nought in Anderson's next over.

Jadeja started to put his foot down, clouting Anderson for six and sending Robinson twice to the fence through the offside as he passed 50, only to give Stuart Broad a spiralling catch from the final ball of the 75th over.

Bumrah produced an old-fashioned cavalier tailend knock, going four, six, four from consecutive Sam Curran deliveries before being the last man out on 278 – Broad again the catcher as Robinson claimed his maiden five-for with India's lead 95.

If the Sussex seamer looks easily at home at this level, the same cannot often be said for England's top order, but Burns and Sibley negotiated 11.1 overs unscathed. Then the rain, perhaps the most significant threat to an India victory in Nottingham, returned.

Pant pulled down

If the Australian tour version of Rishabh Pant - whose bravura 89 not out secured a sensational series win and the man-of-the-match award at the Gabba in January - had turned up in Nottingham, India could really have made England suffer. In reality, they got a man playing several shots at every ball who seemed to have limited interest in the serious business of Test batting.

Having been lucky to survive an examination from Anderson on day two, Pant decided to plough merrily on. "That's just the way he plays" is no defence for such nonsense from a man so talented. Pant has superstar billing and is much, much better than this.

Robinson lets his cricket to the talking

Historic racist and sexist tweets understandably took all the focus off Robinson's efforts on the field during his Test debut against New Zealand in June and a ban duly followed. Back in the fold and suitably contrite, the rangy seamer struck up a master and apprentice partnership with Anderson of the highest quality on Friday.

It will understandably take Robinson some time to be embraced as any kind of fans' favourite after his misdemeanours but he looks born to play Test cricket – perhaps especially on the bouncy tracks that await England in Australia at the end of the year.

Jayant Yadav claimed four wickets within nine legal deliveries after the Black Caps resumed at 140-5 chasing an improbable 540 on the fourth day in Mumbai, eventually dismissing the visitors for 167.

Indian opener Mayank Agarwal was named Player of the Match after his first innings 150 set up the win, backing that up with a second innings half-century.

New Zealand left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel had taken a sensational 10-wicket haul in the first innings but the Black Caps struggled for runs, making only 229 for the game.

The margin was India's biggest win by runs in Test history, along with New Zealand's most significant runs defeat. It was also India's 14th consecutive Test series triumph at home.

Ashwin reaches 300 Test scalps at home

Ravichandran Ashwin fittingly claimed the final wicket to secure victory for India, with overnight batsman Henry Nicholls (44) stumped by Wriddhiman Saha, securing eight scalps for the game, with 34-4 in the second innings.

The 35-year-old off-spinner was India's most fruitful bowler for the game but also brought up his 300th wicket on home soil with Nicholls' dismissal. The wicket also was Ashwin's 50th for the calendar year.

Ashwin had feasted on New Zealand's tail-end in the first innings, but claimed four of the top five in the second.

Agarwal exceeds history maker

The exceptional nature of Agarwal's game was underlined by the fact he won Player of the Match honours ahead of someone who took the third 10-wicket haul in Test cricket history.

Agarwal made 212 runs for the game, 17 shy of New Zealand's entire total and his contribution did not stop there, taking the catch for tail-ender Will Somerville's wicket on the fourth day, the ninth to fall.

Jayant Yadav claimed four wickets within nine legal deliveries after the Black Caps resumed at 140-5 chasing an improbable 540 on the fourth day in Mumbai, eventually dismissing the visitors for 167.

Indian opener Mayank Agarwal was named Player of the Match after his first innings 150 set up the win, backing that up with a second innings half-century.

New Zealand left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel had taken a sensational 10-wicket haul in the first innings but the Black Caps struggled for runs, making only 229 for the game.

The margin was India's biggest win by runs in Test history, along with New Zealand's most significant runs defeat. It was also India's 14th consecutive Test series triumph at home.

Ashwin reaches 300 Test scalps at home

Ravichandran Ashwin fittingly claimed the final wicket to secure victory for India, with overnight batsman Henry Nicholls (44) stumped by Wriddhiman Saha, securing eight scalps for the game, with 34-4 in the second innings.

The 35-year-old off-spinner was India's most fruitful bowler for the game but also brought up his 300th wicket on home soil with Nicholls' dismissal. The wicket also was Ashwin's 50th for the calendar year.

Ashwin had feasted on New Zealand's tail-end in the first innings, but claimed four of the top five in the second.

Agarwal exceeds history maker

The exceptional nature of Agarwal's game was underlined by the fact he won Player of the Match honours ahead of someone who took the third 10-wicket haul in Test cricket history.

Agarwal made 212 runs for the game, 17 shy of New Zealand's entire total and his contribution did not stop there, taking the catch for tail-ender Will Somerville's wicket on the fourth day, the ninth to fall.

The India captain had been taking part in his team's warm-up game against Leicestershire, scoring 25 in the first innings but not batting in the second.

However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed on Saturday that Rohit had tested positive for COVID-19 and is in isolation.

"Team India captain Mr Rohit Sharma has tested positive for COVID-19 following a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) conducted on Saturday," a statement read. 

"He is currently in isolation at the team hotel and is under the care of the BCCI Medical Team."

Rohit has averaged 30.00 from three Test innings in 2022, having averaged 47.68 from 21 innings last year.

The Test match with England, which gets underway at Edgbaston on Friday, is the rescheduled fifth Test from September 2021.

The 31-year-old India captain, who is preparing to lead his side in the first of two Test matches against New Zealand on Friday, feels the topic of player workloads at the highest level of cricket is not going to go away.

For Kohli, occasional breaks from India duty, such as when he was rested for the T20I matches against Bangladesh in November, are his best way of coping with what he feels are intense demands.

"I think it's been eight or nine years that I have been playing almost 300 days a year with the travelling and practice sessions," Kohli told reporters before the opening Test in Wellington.

"The intensity is right up there all the time, so it does take a toll on you. 

"We do choose to take a lot more breaks individually even though the schedule might not allow you to. 

"You are going to see a lot of that in the future from many players. Not just myself, especially from the guys who are playing all three formats. It's not that easy.

"Periodic breaks for me seems to work pretty okay. At a time when the body doesn't respond as well, maybe when I am 34 or 35, you might have a different conversation at that stage. 

"But, for the next two to three years, I have no issues at all. So the mindset is on the larger picture, and from that point, I am preparing myself for a rigorous three years from now."

The responsibilities of being captain are an added pressure for Kohli, who is the world's highest ranked batsman in Test and ODI cricket.

The 31-year-old added: "Being captain, having intensity in practice sessions and discussing the game, it does take a toll on you.

"I can keep going on with the same intensity and I also understand that the team wants a lot of my contribution so that we can ease into another transition phase that we faced some five or six years ago."

India have won the last five Test series they have played, though they come into the New Zealand games on the back of a mixed limited-overs slate.

New Zealand triumphed 3-0 in the ODI series after India had stormed to a 5-0 victory in the T20Is between the two nations.

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).

The second match of three at Dharamsala went the same way as the first – and indeed the seven completed matches between these sides in this format before that.

India were seven-wicket winners after Rohit Sharma put Sri Lanka into bat, although his opposite number Dasun Shanaka threatened to make life tough for the hosts.

While Pathum Nissanka opened with 75, India would have been comfortable with the tourists' scoring rate until Shanaka arrived at the crease.

He then thrashed 47 off just 19 – five of which went for six – in the closing stages of the innings to reach 183-5.

But it was a similar story for India with the bat, as a slow start offered Sri Lanka hope even as Shreyas Iyer made an unbeaten 74.

Rather than Iyer, whose run rate slowed as the target came into view, his partners got the job done in real style, with 39 off 25 from Sanju Samson and then a stunning 45 off 18 from Ravindra Jadeja.

A four from Jadeja fittingly completed the chase on 186-3 with 17 balls still to spare.

Hundred up

India became only the second men's team to reach 100 wins in T20Is, following Pakistan, whose 117 is a benchmark Rohit's side still have a long way to go to match.

Record in sight

India are tallying wins in this format at quite some rate, however. As well as their ninth in a row against Sri Lanka, this was their 11th in succession against all opponents.

Only Afghanistan, among all full-member sides, have had a longer such sequence, but that run of 12 – set between February 2018 and September 2019 – could now be matched in the final match of this series.