In contrast to the drama at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch, Ahmedabad witnessed a sedate day five.
At the close of play, Australia had reached 175-2 in its second innings. It had scored 480 runs in the first innings, to which India replied with 571.
After lunch on day five, Travis Head completed his first half-century on Indian soil off 112 balls. He scored 90 runs, facing 163 deliveries in all, with 10 fours and two sixes.
Head added 139 runs with Marnus Labuschagne for the second wicket, and their stand nullified India’s first innings lead of 91 runs.
Labuschagne reached 50 off 150 balls and finished with 63 not out.
Axar Patel (1-36) bowled Head before the tea break to deny his hundred.
Shubman Gill and Cheteshwar Pujara came up to bowl as the last hour of play approached, when the players decided to shake hands. Steve Smith finished unbeaten on 10 runs.
“The wicket here was too flat for us to force a result,” said Smith, the stand-in Australia captain. “The spinners have bowled really well throughout.”
The fourth test saw four centuries, bucking the spin-friendly trend of this series. Usman Khawaja (180) and Cameron Green (114) headlined the Australian first innings, while Shubman Gill (128) and Virat Kohli (186) propelled the Indian response. Ashwin took 6-91 in Australia’s first innings.
Kohli was named player of the match for scoring his 28th test hundred and breaking a run of 41 test innings without a century, stretching back to November 2019.
“I felt I was batting well from the first test,” Kohli said. “I knew if there was an opportunity on a decent wicket, then I can make a big one. I was able to play the way I wanted to play, which was a relief.”
Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja were named joint players of the series. They finished with 25 and 22 wickets, with Jadeja scoring a half-century in the first test.
The two sides will meet in a three-match ODI series starting in Mumbai on March 17.