05:48

The same scoreline as the Tests, in the end, as India make this an unbeaten tour across all three formats. This final match more than the previous two exposed the limitations of this Australian team, and while the bowlers battled hard, India’s batsmen always looked in control. The match only went as long as it did because that’s how MS Dhoni likes to play, but it could have been over much earlier if he’d had half a mind.

Dhoni now averages 103.07 in winning run chases. Not out 46 times out of 73 in which he’s batted. He’s literally been there at the end two thirds of the time. He’s more reliable than most of our parents. Another 87 not out tonight, and could have gunned for a hundred if he’d wanted to attack more earlier, but it’s not his way.



But it’s not just about the batting. Yuzvendra Chahal sat on the bench for the entire tour to date, got called up for the very last match, and promptly took 6-42 from his 10 overs. He got rid of each set middle-order batsman and was the reason Australia was restricted to 230.

He’s an unlikely looking athlete: slender, bespectacled, quietly spoken. But leg-spinners remain the great mystery of cricket, and Australia couldn’t unpick his. India can be pretty confident ahead of the World Cup: they have a raft of bowling options, and most spots in the XI bar a couple of batting positions are decided. Dhoni has surely answered the biggest of those questions in this series.

Dhoni is chatting to Brendon Julian at the post-match presentation. “I’m happy to bat any number. The important thing is where the team needs me. After 14 years I can’t really say, ‘I can’t bat at six, I must bat at four or five.’”



Now Kohli: “It wasn’t that easy a wicket to bat on, so we had to take it deep. Kuldeep we wanted to give him a little break, and he’d played two games so we don’t want to be too predictable. We’ve been here for a long time, it’s been an amazing tour for us. We drew the T20 series, won the Test series, won the ODI series. If someone had offered me those results I would have grabbed them with both hands.”

The team comes up to take the mirrored pointy trophy. I had a close-up look at that one in Sydney, it’s dangerous. Can’t take it on a plane, I’m sure.

Geoff Lemon Sport (@GeoffLemonSport) This trophy is so advanced it features stealth cloaking technology. #AusvInd pic.twitter.com/n0JAOkM7Lv

The whole blue-clad outfit gets up on the podium and poses for their photos, and now they’ll wander over to the boundary line to applaud the massed Indian fans who are waving flags and cheering. Great turnout tonight, great atmosphere.

Australia have more questions than answers out of tonight, but I’ll write on those overnight and put up a proper article for you in the morning, Australian time.



For now, it’s farewell from the Australian end of the OBO – for all of six days, until we start up against another blue-clad subcontinental team in Brisbane, where Sri Lanka will start their brief Test tour. Plenty of interest for both teams, given Australia’s current weakness and Sri Lanka’s ability to punch above their weight at times last year away from home.



We’ll see you there.

