Australia vs. India 2015, 4th Test, Day 5: Highlights, Scorecard and Report

India dug deep to force a draw in the final Test against Australia in Sydney, finishing the match on 252-7 at stumps.

The home side won the four-Test series 2-0 regardless, but it never looked like the match at the Sydney Cricket Ground lacked meaning, with both sides fighting tooth and nail for a full final day's play.

Australia declared overnight, leaving India an unlikely 349 to chase for a consolation victory.

Batsman	Dismissal	Bowler	Runs	Mins	Balls
Vijay	c Haddin	b Hazlewood	80	254	165
Rahul	c Warner	b Lyon	16	56	40
Ro Sharma	c Smith	b Watson	39	94	90
Kohli	c Watson	b Starc	46	122	95
Rahane	not out		38	126	88
Raina	lbw	b Starc	0	6	3
Saha	lbw	b Lyon	0	11	6
Ashwin	lbw	b Hazlewood	1	30	22
B Kumar	not out		20	49	30
Extras	0nb 0w 6b 6lb	12
Total	for 7 (89.5 ovs)	252
Bowler	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets
Starc	19.0	7	36	2
Harris	13.0	3	34	0
Lyon	30.5	5	110	2
Hazlewood	17.0	7	31	2
Smith	2.0	0	7	0
Watson	8.0	2	22	1

They started positively, but a combination of falling wickets and a rising required run rate meant their focus became the draw as the day wore on.

And the composure of Ajinkya Rahane, who batted 88 balls for his unbeaten 38, was enough to get his side to the end of the day.

Steven Smith's declaration was expected, and it made the equation simple on Day 5. Spinner Nathan Lyon was his trump card, called into the attack early and bowling spinning deliveries which picked up bounce with the new ball.

Murali Vijay, who top-scored with 80, took him on early, crunching 16 runs in one of his early overs, but there was a fine balance between risk and reward, and at the other end it was not long before Lokesh Rahul fell, gloving a turning delivery to a close fielder on the leg side.

Rohit Sharma was within a hair's breadth—or a boot's heel, to be precise—of following him via stumping to the next delivery, but after repeated replays from the third umpire, it was decided he had just about got back in time.

The pair slowed down a touch but made it to lunch without further losses on the wickets column.

In the afternoon the India win seemed to have disappeared from the agenda, but the combination of Sharma and Vijay appeared to be neutralising the game with some fighting batsmanship. 

Sharma, having ground out 39, was the only man to fall in the session—but it was a special wicket after Smith took an exceptional catch at wide slip off the bowling of Shane Watson.

Virat Kohli, who had batted so well on Day 5 in Adelaide, looked in good shape as he joined Vijay in the middle and made it to tea.

But Australia and India summoned a final charge in the final session and created panic where there was none for a thrilling finale.

Vijay was the first to go, edging behind off Josh Hazlewood as India looked to accelerate, and when Kohli snicked a drive to slip against Mitchell Starc, India's priority firmly became the draw.

By now, however, the contest had opened up. Suresh Raina's return to Tests was a disappointing one, with the left-hander out for a three-ball duck. Wriddhiman Saha lasted just six balls, again not scoring.

The crowd swelled, the anticipation built and the wicket of Ravi Ashwin brought a result closer still. 

But the second new ball seemed to blunt the Australia attack rather than sharpen it, and Rahane found an able ally in Bhuvneshwar Kumar to get through the final hour.

Australia will reflect on a series in which they have battled to move on from the tragic death of batsman Phillip Hughes and came through for victory. 

India, meanwhile, have lost a captain in MS Dhoni but shown some fight and resilience away from home, which bodes well for the future.

The teams are now joined by England for an ODI tri-series ahead of the World Cup next month.