Andrew Symonds

Sehwag shines in drawn Adelaide Test, touching farewell for Gilchrist

Returning back to form with a majestic 151 (11 boundaries and two sixes), Indias Virender Sehwag made Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrists final day as a Test player all the more memorable, even as Australian crowds got accustomed to the possibility that they would also being seeing the last of Indian greats Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman and Anil Kumble in a five-day game on their soil.

Adelaide, Jan.28 : Returning back to form with a majestic 151 (11 boundaries and two sixes), India's Virender Sehwag made Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist's final day as a Test player all the more memorable, even as Australian crowds got accustomed to the possibility that they would also being seeing the last of Indian greats Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman and Anil Kumble in a five-day game on their soil.

Sehwag's stupendous century ensured a combative draw for India at the Adelaide Oval, though Australia won the series 2-1. His 151 was followed by Mahendra Singh Dhoni's 20.

It was appropriate that Gilchrist had a hand in Sehwag's dismissal, holding on to a thin edge off Andrew Symonds. By then, Sehwag had faced 236 balls and ensured an Indian lead was 216. He was the sixth batsmen out. Thereafter, India lost its seventh wicket in the form of off-spinner Harbhajan Singh. He was replaced by Ishant Sharma, confirming that an injured Rahul Dravid was in no position to bat with a bandaged right palm. Sources said that Dravid is likely to be out of action for a fortnight.

At 5:28 p.m., with just over half an hour for the scheduled close, both captains (Anil Kumble and Rickey Ponting) and umpires (Billy Bowden and Asad Rauf) decided to bring the curtains down on what was an enthralling battle of wits and skill between batsmen and bowlers. India ended the day on 269 for 7, a lead of 232.

A key passage of play was on the either side of the tea interval. The game was still in the balance when Dhoni arrived at the crease to face Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson and Andrew Symonds.

By the time Matthew Hayden held a stunning catch leaping to his left off Lee's bowling, Dhoni had helped Sehwag add 51, nudging the lead to 200.

Earlier, the Indians lost Dravid to injury and then Tendulkar to a disastrous run out of his own doing. Ganguly and Laxman flattered to deceive with scores of 18 and 12.

The scores at the end of the Test were as follows:India 526 (Tendulkar 153, Kumble 87, Harbhajan 63, Sehwag 63, Laxman, Johnson 4-126) and 7 for 269 dec (Sehwag 151) drew with Australia 563 (Ponting 140, Clarke 118, Hayden 103).

ANI