Cricket: India secure landmark Test series win in Australia

The Indian cricket team has clinched a landmark first Test series victory in Australia after the weather-affected fourth match in Sydney ended in a draw.

Indian captain Virat Kohli’s team entered the final day with hopes of a 3-1 series victory and also their first win at the Sydney Cricket Ground since 1978, but rain on Monday forced umpires to call off the match. The draw gave India a 2-1 series win.

“A very proud moment,” Kohli said. “More so because for the last 12 months we understand what we have gone through as a team, we understand the kind of cricket we have been able to play.

“But the fact that the reward has come in the most historic series for Indian cricket is the cherry on the top of the cake.”

India became the first Asian side to ever win a series in the longer format of the game on Australian soil. 

A historic cricketing accomplishment in Australia!

Congratulations to the Indian Cricket Team for the hard-fought and richly deserved series victory.

The series witnessed some memorable performances and solid teamwork.

Best wishes for the various games ahead.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 7, 2019

Inclement weather had affected the play on Sunday also with six hours lost due to rain. But Indian spinner Kuldeep Yadav still had time to take his second five-wicket haul in Tests as India rattled through Australia’s batting line-up.

Marcus Harris top-scored for the hosts with 79, Australia’s highest individual score in the series.

Leading by 322 runs, Kohli had little hesitation in enforcing the follow-on and Australia reached six without loss in their second innings, when bad light stopped play on day four.

The last time Australia were required to follow-on at home was in 1988 against England at the SCG, a match which also finished in a draw.

“We’re really disappointed,” Australia captain Tim Paine said. “We know we had some guys missing but we honestly felt coming into this series that in Australia, we could beat India.”

Congratulations #TeamIndia for this memorable win. Every cricket lover in India will be very proud of this one and a special effort by every member in the Team to ensure this result. pic.twitter.com/GLUaQgLt4S

— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) January 7, 2019

India, which only needed to avoid a defeat here to clinch the series, effectively ended the match as a contest by scoring 622 with a loss of 7 wickets over almost two full days after Kohli won the toss and chose to bat. 

The Indian side won the first Test at Adelaide by 31 runs and last week’s Boxing Day Test in Melbourne by 137 runs to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Australia won the second Test in Perth by 146 runs.