Australia 563 drew with India 526 & 269-7
 Gilchrist is given an affectionate welcome for his final day in Tests |
The fourth and final Test in Adelaide ended in a draw as Australia secured a 2-1 series victory against India.
With captain Ricky Ponting off the field because of a back problem, Adam Gilchrist fittingly captained the side for part of his final day of Test duty.
But India opener Virender Sehwag struck magnificent 151, featuring two sixes, to lead the tourists to safety after they resumed eight ahead at 45-1.
Sehwag batted until deep into the final session as India reached 269-7.
Australia were confident of giving Gilchrist a farewell victory, and their hopes increased when two of India's key batsmen departed in unusual fashion in the opening session.
Firstly Rahul Dravid was struck painfully on the finger by a lifting ball from Brett Lee in the fifth over of the morning.
The former skipper made no addition to his overnight 11 and was forced to leave the field shortly after sustaining his injury.
Then Sachin Tendulkar, in what is sadly likely to be his last Test innings in Australia, was run-out attempting a poorly judged single shortly before lunch.
Tendulkar got off the mark with a stylish cover drive for four but had made only 13 before pushing Mitchell Johnson into the leg-side, getting halfway down the pitch and being sent back and falling well short of his ground as the bowler's throw rattled into the stumps.
In an emotional final day of the series, Tendulkar was later awarded the Man-of-the-match award for his scintillating first innings century and praised by Cricket Australia chairman Creagh O'Connor for his achievements down under.
Sehwag, who had never previously made a second innings hundred, was the one batsman to score freely on a wicket that became increasingly slow and difficult to time the ball on.
He lofted Brad Hogg for a huge six over long-on and then drove the next ball through the covers for four.
In the ninth over after lunch, with India's lead 125, Sourav Ganguly drove a near yorker length ball from Johnson to short cover, and the third umpire confirmed that the catch was clean and not a 'bump ball.'
VVS Laxman succumbed to a short one from Lee that he gloved to Gilchrist down the leg-side, while Mahendra Dhoni drove a wide, full length delivery from the paceman that was snaffled brilliantly one-handed by Matthew Hayden in the gully.
With Dravid and RP Singh unable to bat, it was important that Sehwag remained, and he played in the responsible fashion some of his critics felt he was unable to.
India were content to consolidate and there were no boundaries in the 25 overs between lunch and tea, but Sehwag reached 150 with a fluent drive through to the cover boundary.
In the next over, however, he feathered a catch off Andrew Symonds to give Gilchrist his 379th and final catch in Test cricket.
The match continued for a further 12 overs, during which Ponting defied his troublesome back to pouch a Harbhajan Singh drive above his head at mid-off.
But with India 232 ahead there was to be no dramatic run chase that all Australians - and a great many other cricket followers around the world - were hoping would have been led by Gilchrist.
It did, however, give the opportunity for the players and the crowd to show their appreciation for a great cricketer.
BBC
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