Sehwag saves India ..

Virender Sehwag's 13th Test century in India's defiant second innings of 7-269 - an overall lead of 232 - has ensured a draw with Australia in the 3 mobile fourth Test at Adelaide Oval.

Sehwag contributed a fighting 236-ball 151 in nearly six hours, and Anil Kumble (nine not out) and Ishant Sharma (two not out) were together when the match was called off at 5:26pm local time.

Australia won the series 2-1 to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

The hosts won by 337 runs in Melbourne and by 122 runs in Sydney, while India won by 72 runs in Perth.

Brett Lee won the player of the series award for his 24 wickets at an average of 22.58 off 186.5 overs.

Highlights of Sehwag's innings ..

This was the 21st draw in 72 Australia-India Tests. Australia has won 34, India has won 16 and there has been one tie - in Chennai (formerly Madras) in 1986.

India resumed its second innings at 1-45 - eight ahead - with Sehwag on 31 and Rahul Dravid 11, and added 97 off 24 overs in the first session, only 68 off 25 in the second and 59 off 24 in the third.

Dravid retired hurt on 11, player of the match Sachin Tendulkar (13) was run out by a slick piece of fielding by Mitchell Johnson off his own bowling and Sourav Ganguly (18) was caught at short cover by Michael Hussey off Johnson.

Lee was rewarded for his lion-hearted work and sustained speed by having VVS Laxman (12) caught on the leg-side by Adam Gilchrist and Mahendra Dhoni (20) plucked spectacularly by Matthew Hayden in his left hand high at second slip.

Sehwag was the sixth man out - at 4:46pm local time - when he edged an Andrew Symonds off-break to Gilchrist, and Harbhajan Singh (seven) was caught at wide mid-off by Ricky Ponting off Brad Hogg.

Dravid faced 21 balls without adding to his overnight score and then retired hurt with what x-rays later confirmed was a hairline fracture of the right middle finger. He was struck by a lifter from Lee and had on-field treatment twice before retreating reluctantly to the dressing room.

Tendulkar was run out nearing lunch. He took off for a quick single after pushing a ball from Johnson to the offside of the pitch, but Johnson swooped on it and threw down the stumps while Tendulkar tried in vain to regain his ground.

Playing probably his final Test innings in Australia, Tendulkar received his now-mandatory standing ovation before and after his 69-minute stay.

The Australians had appealed for a catch off the first ball Tendulkar faced. He hit it into the ground in front of Phil Jaques at silly mid-off and the ball ricocheted to Symonds at mid-off.

Television replays confirmed the ball had bounced before hitting Jaques, and, importantly, third umpire Steve Davis agreed.

Davis was also called upon to rule Ganguly out when it was uncertain - until the replays were utilised - whether he had hit the ball into the ground or had scooped it cleanly to Hussey, who dived to his right to take a fine catch.

Sehwag was a circumspect batsman, but he kept the score mounting to such an extent that he rendered the great Tendulkar something of an onlooker during their stand of 71 off 84 balls.

Sehwag was not afraid to swing Hogg over wide mid-wicket for six - one of two sixes for the innings - and he also hit 13 fours, but none between lunch and tea when he added just 29 off 68 balls.

He raised his hundred off only 123 balls with an on-side push for one off Johnson, and leapt and punched the air jubilantly as he passed the stumps - and then hugged Tendulkar.

Sehwag was left out of India's team for the Melbourne and Sydney Tests of this series and then made 29 and 43 in Perth and 63 in the first innings of this match.

This was his 13th century in 54 Tests, including his third in 12 Tests against Australia. The 29-year-old from Delhi made 195 in Melbourne and 155 in Chennai (formerly Madras) - both in 2003-04.

Tendulkar finished the series as the leading run-getter on either side - 493 at an average of 70.43. He scored 440 in the first innings of the four Tests and only 53 in the second - 62, 15, 154 not out, 12, 71, 13, 153 and 13.