India v Australia 4th Test: India secure series win

Fourth Test scores (Dharamsala)

India won by eight wickets and clinch the series 2-1

Australia 1st Inns: 300 (Smith 111, Wade 57, Warner 56; Kuldeep 4-68)

India 1st Inns: 332 (Jadeja 63, Rahul 60, Pujara 57, Rahane 46, Saha 31, Ashwin 30; Lyon 5-92, Cummins 3-94)

Australia 2nd Inns: 137 (Maxwell 45, Wade 25*; Yadav 3-29, Jadeja 3-24, Ashwin 3-29)

India 2nd Inns: 106-2 (Rahul 51*, Rahane 38*)

Day four report

India wrapped up a thrilling series win over Australia with an eight-wicket win in the fourth Test in Dharamsala.

Left with a chase of 106 following their skittling of Australia for 137 on Monday, they came into the fourth day requiring another 87 runs to win and they did it for the loss of two wickets, with Lokesh Rahul and Ajinkya Rahane seeing them to a 2-1 series win.

Rahul finished with 51 not out and Rahane added an unbeaten 38 as India ensured there would be no dramas when there might have been after Australia took two wickets in the seventh over of the day.

Murali Vijay fell with the score on 46 when he nicked a moving ball from Pat Cummins and then Cheteshwar Pujara needlessly ran himself out for a duck five balls later.

But Rahul and Rahane put their foot down and raced across the winning line with a partnership of 61 off 59 balls, with Rahul going past 50 as he hit the winning runs. 

The result means India, who suffered their last home series Test defeat to England in 2012, remain number one team in the ICC rankings. 

Indian skipper Virat Kohli said: "The longest format of the game really tests a team's character, and I'm proud that we have proved ourselves to be the best.

"We are absolutely delighted to have topped the ICC Test rankings.

"We have maintained our position with some really good cricket in recent months. The team has shown the tenacity to bounce back from difficult situations."

Day three report

India look to have landed the decisive blow in their Test series with Australia after the tourists crumbled to 137 all out in their second innings in the Dharamsala decider.

Ravindra Jadeja, whose half-century earlier in the day had established a small first-innings lead for India, Umesh Yadav and Ravichandran Ashwin each took three wickets as Australia were hustled out inside 54 overs in the fourth and final Test.

Needing 106 to wrap up a hard-fought 2-1 series win, India closed on 19 without loss and, while victory is by no means a foregone conclusion, they will be overwhelming favourites to overhaul the target on the fourth morning of the Test.

That they are in pole position is due in no small part to the all-round efforts of Jadeja, whose flamboyant 63 included four fours and as many sixes and included a crucial 96-run partnership with Wriddhiman Saha.

The stand, which took India past Australia's first-innings total, was ended shortly after Pat Cummins' introduction into the attack, with the express paceman rattling Jadeja's helmet with his first delivery before, in his next over, bowling the left-hander.

In his next over, the hostile Cummins saw off Saha for 31 thanks to a fine catch at slip by Steve Smith, while Nathan Lyon completed a five-wicket haul after Kuldeep Yadav was caught in the deep as India were all out for 332.

Holding a 32-run first-innings advantage, India made inroads into the top order when Umesh squared up the out-of-form David Warner as well as Matt Renshaw, both of whom were caught behind.

Either side of the openers departing, first-innings centurion Smith miscued a pull off Bhuvneshwar Kumar and chopped onto his stumps.

Peter Handscomb and the lively Glenn Maxwell offered some resistance with a 56-run partnership but Ashwin had the former caught at slip for 18, the first of seven wickets to fall for 50 runs as Australia collapsed.

Shaun Marsh tamely turned Jadeja to short leg and the writing was on the wall when the counter-attacking Maxwell departed for 45 after a marginal lbw decision went in Ashwin and India's favour after a review.

While wicketkeeper-batsman Matthew Wade dropped anchor at one end, wickets tumbled at the other and he was left stranded on 25 not out from 90 balls after India polished off the lower order and tail.

The as-ever economical Jadeja collected three for 24 from 18 overs while Ashwin and Umesh both finished with three for 29 to put India in the driver's seat.

KL Rahul (13no) and Murali Vijay (6no) survived the six overs to the close to leave India needing 87 runs to seal victory in this Test and the series.

Day two report

India closed 52 runs behind with four first-innings wickets in hand against Australia on day two of the decisive fourth and final Test in Dharamsala.

The hosts reached 248 for six at the HPCA Stadium having bowled the tourists out for 300 on day one.

Cheteshwar Pujara frustrated the tourists with 57, while Lokesh Rahul's 60 helped India recover from losing Murali Vijay early.

Nathan Lyon took four for 67 with Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins claiming a wicket each to leave the final Test delicately poised.

Australia made 300 thanks to Steve Smith's 111 - his third hundred of the series and seventh against India - with the series locked at 1-1.

Hazlewood took the early wicket of Vijay when the opener was caught behind by Matthew Wade for 11 but India passed 100 before Rahul was dismissed for 60.

Hazlewood asked a lot of questions of India but Pujara and Rahul had steadied the ship with the former eventually falling to the off-spin of Lyon.

Lyon then picked up the quick wicket of Karun Nair for five to reduce India to 167 for four but Ajinkya Rahane's 46 and Ravichandran Ashwin's 30 edged them closer to drawing level with Australia.

Ashwin's dismissal left India on 221 for six but Australia failed to make another breakthrough as Wriddhiman Saha (10) and Ravindra Jadeja (16) held firm until stumps. 

Day one report

Steve Smith's 20th Test century held Australia together after India debutant Kuldeep Yadav triggered a collapse on the opening day of the decisive fourth and final match in Dharmasala. 

The visiting skipper struck 111 - his third hundred of the series and seventh against India - as his side, also boosted by fifties from David Warner and Matthew Wade, posted 300. 

Smith and Warner took advantage of India's sloppiness in the field to take the score to 144 for one shortly after lunch following the early departure of Matt Renshaw. 

But left-arm spinner Kuldeep, replacing injured captain Virat Kohli, led the fightback by returning figures of four for 68, including three wickets during a collapse that saw Australia lose five for 64 runs in the afternoon session. 

Wade thwarted India with 57 before falling shortly before the close, which arrived after India were forced to survive a testing maiden over from Josh Hazlewood. 

Smith's decision to bat looked debatable when Renshaw was bowled by Umesh Yadav in the second over. 

Yet the 27-year-old and Warner, dropped by Karun Nair at third slip from the first ball of the match, soon took control in a stand of 134 until Kuldeep struck in his fourth over. 

Warner edged to slip for 56 and, after Umesh strangled Shaun Marsh down the leg side, Kuldeep bowled Peter Handscomb through the gate and Glenn Maxwell with a wrong'un.

Smith, having reached three figures from 150 balls, then nicked Ravi Ashwin to slip to leave the score 208 for six. 

However, Wade took over the mantle, forming important partnerships with Pat Cummins, who made 21 before becoming Kuldeep's fourth victim, Steve O'Keefe and Nathan Lyon to frustrate the hosts.

The series is currently level at 1-1.