NEW DELHI: In-form India opener Lokesh Rahul hit an unbeaten half-century as India crushed Australia by eight wickets to win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on the fourth day of the fourth Test at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala on Tuesday. India thus won the four-Test series 2-1 to end the home season on an emphatic note.
As expected, Australia came out all guns blazing and ensured that India didn't have it easy. Murali Vijay (8) endured a tough time before Pat Cummins ended his misery by having him caught behind with a good outswinger with India still 60 runs short of victory.
India's highest run scorer in this series, Cheteshwar Pujara, was then run out for a duck with a direct hit from Glenn Maxwell to briefly lift Australia's spirits, but Rahul and Ajinkya Rahane then made sure India didn't have any more hiccups. Rahul scored a solid half-century, his sixth of the series, but it was the whirlwind 38-run knock from the stand-in Indian captain that nailed the series.
Cummins moved around the stumps in an attempt to intimidate Rahane at the start the 20th over and banged his first ball in, but an undeterred Rahane pulled it nonchalantly over midwicket for a stunning six. The next ball was pitched short and wide outside off stump, and anticipating it brilliantly Rahane gave himself room and smashed it over the covers for a six. A gutsy statement was made.
The winning runs came when Rahul moved from 49 to 52 with a whip past midwicket, and both batsmen celebrated the victory animatedly.
This victory rounded off India's home season of 13 Tests on a resounding note, and is their fourth in row over Australia at home after 2008/09 (2-0), 2010/11 (2-0) and 2012/13 (4-0).
Brief scores: India 332 & 106/2 (Rahul 51*, Rahane 38*: Cummins 1/42) beat Australia (300 & 137) by 8 wickets to win series 2-1
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