Jadeja stars as India complete whitewash

Ravindra Jadeja picked up seven wickets in the match to help his side beat Australia in the final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy by six wickets. With this victory, India took the series 4-0, completing a whitewash.

Australia's series nightmare continued in Delhi with their batsmen struggling, like before, to cope with India's spinners. The tourists, sans Michael Clarke, who was out due to a back injury, failed to tame the Delhi pitch as India's spinners R Ashwin, Pragyan Ojha and Jadeja dominated, with Ashwin claiming five wickets for the fourth time in the series.

Australia, who at one point in their first innings were reeling at 136 for seven, managed 262 with Peter Siddle and James Pattinson putting on a stubborn 54-run stand for the ninth wicket.

Defending a modest total, Australia's stand-in leader Shane Watson marshalled his men handily as India slipped to 266 for 8 by the close of day two. He benefited from a fine display by Nathan Lyon, who spun the ball sharply and landed it with greater consistency than he had managed all series. Peter Siddle, James Pattinson and Mitchell Johnson also bowled useful spells. India managed just six runs on day three, giving them a ten-run lead.

Australia tried to surprise India by opening with Glenn Maxwell alongside David Warner. But India's spinners came to the party like before. In his first over, Jadeja got one to turn, stay low, hit the outside edge of Maxwell's bat and cannon into the off stump.

What followed was a procession, as Jadeja dismissed David Warner and Ashwin trapped Phil Hughes lbw. Jadeja removed Cowan before lunch, and Steven Smith and Mitchell Johnson just after. The latter strikes were crucial as Smith and Wade had added 41 for the sixth wicket. His first ball after the break was a slider that Smith left alone to hit his off stump. The next turned through the gate and knocked Johnson's middle stump over. They managed just 164 in the second innings, setting India 154 to complete the whitewash.

India stuttered with the bat in the second innings but Cheteshwar Pujara, with an unbeaten 82, and MS Dhoni, guided them home. Jadeja won the Man-of-the-Match award for his performance.

"I think it was an important series for us. Credit goes to everyone, the last one and a half years have not been great for us in Tests, but they [every player] showed a lot of character. You need to battle it out. That was the case in this series," Dhoni said. "There were a few changes in the side. It was up to the individuals to rise up and do well. I think they all did it, everybody performed."