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The recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy saw team India extend their dominance in red-ball cricket over rivals Australia as they won their fourth consecutive Test series against the Aussies. While both teams have engaged in some hard-fought matches of late, India completed their first-ever whitewash against the Aussies in the longest format of the game on March 24 in 2013. MS Dhoni’s side created history after a comfortable victory in the fourth Test in Delhi.

India were eyeing history when they took on Australia in the fourth and final Test match of the series in Delhi. 

The visitors, marred by the ‘Homeworkgate’ saga, batted first in the series finale after winning the toss. A late riposte by fast bowling duo Peter Siddle and James Pattinson took the visitors to a respectable total of 262 runs in their first innings.

The home side got off to a solid start in their reply thanks to half-centuries from openers Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara. However, a flurry of quick wickets dented India’s progress in their first innings and Nathan Lyon’s record-breaking seven-for ensured that India managed just a slender ten-run lead in the match.

Australia, led by Shane Watson, were looking to avoid a whitewash in the series, but their batters were powerless against the Indian spinners in their second innings. The trio of Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Pragyan Ojha shared nine wickets between itself to restrict the Aussies to a mediocre total of 164 runs, setting the home side a paltry target of 154 runs for a historic victory.

India’s chase was off to an inauspicious start after Murali Vijay was cleaned up by Glenn Maxwell. However, Cheteshwar Pujara dug deep on a spin-friendly track, compiling a decisive 104-run stand with Virat Kohli to guide the hosts to a comfortable victory in the end. Pujara remained unbeaten at the crease, with skipper MS Dhoni hitting the winning runs for his side.