Harbhajan Singh and Amit Mishra combined for seven wickets as India handed Australia just its second series defeat in three years, completing a 172-run victory yesterday to reclaim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2-0.
The top-ranked Australians were dismissed for 209 in 50.2 overs just before tea on the last day, chasing an unlikely 382 to win the fourth and final Test and force a 1-1 series draw.
Spinners Harbhajan (4-64) and Mishra (3-27) built on the fine early work of paceman Ishant Sharma, who took 2-31 and only when opener Matthew Hayden plundered 77 did the Indians look in any danger of giving up their advantage.
India, which last held the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2004, took the lead in the series with an emphatic 320-run victory in the second Test in Mohali last month.
FITTING FAREWELL
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India's captain-elect following the retirement of Anil Kumble after the third Test, said the series win over Australia was a fitting farewell to international cricket for Kumble and Sourav Ganguly, another former captain.
"It's very important. It's one of the series everybody was looking up to. It's more than the India-Pakistan rivalry right now," he said in a post-match interview. "It was important to catch the moment."
Ganguly, who bowed out with 85 and 0, said it was time to step down and he was happy to exit on a high.
"We played outstandingly to win 2-0 against the best team in the world, it is very, very satisfying," he said.
Australia's previous Test series defeat occurred in England in 2005 when Ricky Posting's line-up handed over the Ashes for the first time in almost two decades.
"It's been a fair result, to tell you the truth," Ponting said. "From the start of the second Test in Mohali, we've been chasing our tails and India deserve the 2-0 result. "It would have been an unbelievable run-chase if we could have got there today - with wearing wickets and good spinners and fast bowlers doing their job. After lunch, we were out of the game. We weren't good enough here or in Mohali."
The Australians, who resumed yesterday at 13-0, needed the fourth-highest successful chase in Test history to pull off a series-levelling win and began wanting 369 runs in 90 overs. They scored 98 in the first session but lost three wickets by lunch - including two in the first six overs - and another seven went after the break.
When Hayden and Michael Hussey were sharing a bright 68-run stand for the fourth wicket Australia had a slim chance of staying in touch, but they were removed in consecutive overs to leave the tourists struggling at 154-5.
Outplayed
"We've been totally outplayed," Ponting said. "With the exception of the first Test in Bangalore, in every other game we've got back to level and never got in front."
Sharma, who was Man of the Series for his 15 wickets, was the best of the bowlers in the morning session, but it was Mishra and Harbhajan who created the most trouble.
Australia will play New Zealand in a two-Test series starting next week and India will host England in seven limited-overs internationals and two Tests.