Former England captain Michael Vaughan said the return of Ben Stokes to the squad for the Ashes tour could swing the series in their favour against an Australian side still scarred by the allrounder's heroics at Headingley two years ago.

Stokes had taken an indefinite break from cricket in July to focus on his mental health, while also recovering from a second operation on a broken finger, and was not included in coach Chris Silverwood's initial squad for the series.

The England and Wales Cricket Board said on Monday, however, that Stokes would be available for the series, which is due to start on December 8.

"Ben Stokes's return for the Ashes is huge," Vaughan wrote in his column in the Daily Telegraph.

"Without him, I would not have given England a chance in Australia; with him, they have a glimmer of hope – and maybe a bit more than that.

"Stokes is the engine of this England team, the guy who powers them. Not only does he contribute massively himself, he lifts the performances of those around him, inspiring, cajoling and driving up standards."

Vaughan, who captained England from 2003 to 2008, said Stokes would also bring the fear factor due to his performance at Headingley in the third test of the 2019 Ashes series.

Regarded as one of the greatest batting displays in living memory, Stokes hit 135 not out, smashing the ball to all parts of the ground in a virtuoso display that included eight sixes, to give Joe Root's team a thrilling one-wicket victory.

"Crucially, he is also a player Australia fear," added Vaughan.

"The scars he inflicted on them at Headingley two years ago will not have fully healed, and the sight of him walking out at Brisbane – or wherever he manages to play his first test – will send a few shivers up local spines."

Australia retained the Ashes in 2019 after the series ended in a 2-2 draw.

Batsman Cheteshwar Pujara came in for criticism for his low strike rate in Australia but India's top order bulwark has no intention of changing his game since his stubborn style has the backing of his teammates and management.

Built around a compact defence and Zen-like poise, Pujara's batting was one of the key factors in India's epic 2-1 series victory in Australia earlier this month.

He totalled 271 runs with a strike rate of 29.2 but more importantly faced 928 balls – the most of any batsman in the four-test series.

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting was critical of Pujara's strike rate during the third test in Sydney but the test specialist was unmoved.

"They've the right to say what they feel like. But I feel that I'm doing a job for my team and I know what's best for the team and myself," the No 3 told the Times of India.

"If I have a gameplan, and if it's helping me and the team, then I just need to stick to that."

Pujara battled like a gladiator on the final day of the Brisbane decider, taking 11 blows to the body in compiling a fighting fifty.

In a low-scoring series only three batsmen – Australian duo Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne, and India's stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane – managed centuries.

Pujara said neither Rahane nor head coach Ravi Shastri had asked him to score faster.

"Both backed me completely," he added.

"There was not a single time when they asked me to play faster. They always told me: 'You play your natural game. Don't think or worry about anything.'"

India next play a four-test series against England beginning in Chennai on February 5.

A Cricket Australia probe Wednesday concluded Indian players were racially abused during the third test at the Sydney Cricket Ground, but cleared six people who were kicked out of the stadium.

Cricket chiefs and New South Wales police launched investigations after fast bowlers Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah complained about being targeted while they fielded by the boundary ropes on day three of the clash this month.

The following day, play was halted for close to 10 minutes when Siraj ran from the fine leg boundary towards the umpires, pointing into the crowd.

Six men were removed from their seats, but they have now been cleared.

"CA confirms that members of the Indian cricket team were subjected to racial abuse," the governing body's integrity chief Sean Carroll said in a statement.

"CA's own investigation into the matter remains open, with CCTV footage, ticketing data and interviews with spectators still being analysed in an attempt to locate those responsible."

But it added: "CA's investigation concluded that the spectators filmed and/or photographed by media in the Brewongle Stand concourse at the conclusion of the 86th over on day four of the test did not engage in racist behaviour."

The tense four-test series, which India won 2-1, was marred by the allegations, with veteran India spinner Ravi Ashwin saying it was not the first time there had been issues in Sydney.

"It's definitely not acceptable in this day and age... we must make sure it doesn't happen again," he said.

Cricket Australia issued an apology to India at the time and said anyone found guilty of abuse would face consequences, including bans, other sanctions and referral to police.

The findings have been forwarded to the International Cricket Council, while NSW Police's investigation is continuing.

India have finally created a pace pool that will allow them to rotate the quicks and sustain the kind of performance they pulled off in Australia, bowling coach Bharat Arun has said.

India had their entire frontline attack wiped out before the Brisbane decider, but the injury-ravaged tourists still pulled off an epic 2-1 series victory in Australia after a lion-hearted effort by their replacement bowlers.

Playing only his third test, Mohammed Siraj led their pace attack, which included Shardul Thakur and Navdeep Saini, both had played one test each, as well as debutant T. Natarajan.

"We have been planning this over the last three years," former test player Arun told a video conference on Friday.

"If you need India to be sustainably doing well at the international level, you need a pool of bowlers who would be rotated time and again so that they stay fresh.

"Now we are blessed with a great bench strength. So it's very heartening how these guys have come to the party."

Pacers Ishant Sharma and Bhuvneshwar Kumar missed the tour with injuries, which continued to bedevil India's bid to retain the Border-Gavaskar trophy.

Net bowlers Washington Sundar and Natarajan were handed test debuts in Brisbane after Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah had their tour cut short by injuries.

Arun said the emergence of the new crop of bowlers augured well, considering the workload ahead which includes a combined nine test matches, home and away, against England.

"I think it's a very healthy trend. It's an embarrassment of riches," the 58-year-old said.

"Now we have seven fast bowlers willing to play for the country," he said. "If we need to give our best performance, it will be extremely handy."

Arun praised the young quicks but felt the likes of Shami and Ishant still had plenty to offer.

"I think they have enough cricket left in them. Their experience is outstanding, and they are still good enough to perform for India.

"They'll all be rotated and we'll make sure we put the best team on the park."

While his India teammates lapped up the acclaim after returning from their triumphant Australia tour, Mohammed Siraj drove straight from Hyderabad airport to a burial ground to pay his respects to his father, who passed away in November.

The right-arm quick was one of the heroes of India's epic 2-1 series victory in Australia, where he finished as their leading wicket-taker.

After this father, Mohammed Ghouse, died on 20 November the pacer's mother and India captain Virat Kohli urged him to stay on in Australia rather than head home to grieve with his family, despite having no assurances he would feature in the series.

His chance came in Melbourne, where he made his test debut in place of Mohammed Shami, who had broken his elbow in the series opener in Adelaide.

Siraj then found himself leading India's injury-ravaged pace attack in the Brisbane decider, where he claimed his maiden five-wicket haul to finish the series with 13 wickets from his three tests.

"It was the most difficult time for me to be there at his burial place," the 26-year-old told local media after laying flowers on his father's grave on Thursday.

"I was just circling unknowingly, never thought I would have go to through such a phase."

His mental strength was further tested in Sydney where a section of the crowd targeted him.

"The abuse from some in the Australian crowd made me mentally strong," Siraj said.

"The fact that I did not allow that abuse to have an effect on my game was important."

The Hyderabad player will hope to maintain his good form after being retained in the squad for the first two tests of a four-match series against England.

Former test batsman Peter Handscomb leapt to the defence of Tim Paine on Thursday as the Australia captain came under fire in the wake of the series loss to India.

India's dramatic triumph in the fourth test at the Gabba on Tuesday led to a great deal of soul-searching in Australia and some of the country's army of pundits have turned the spotlight on Paine's leadership.

The 36-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman has led the test side since Steve Smith was sacked in the wake of the 2018 Newlands ball-tampering scandal and has said he would like to return to South Africa as captain next month.

"I can't believe the fallout from this test is his captaincy, that's just an absolute joke," Handscomb, who played his last test in 2019, told reporters on Thursday.

"The poor guy is batting beautifully, making some good runs, taking the game on and leading with that intent, which is really good to see.

"For it to come down to some perceived captaincy ideas is ridiculous. The whole team is there and everyone is trying to do their best ... it's a bit of a joke that the takeaway seems to be his captaincy."

Australia's next test assignment is scheduled to be a trip to South Africa in February and March, although the Covid-19 situation across the Indian Ocean has placed that three-match series in doubt.

Looming beyond that is the home series against England at the end of the year, when Australia will be defending the Ashes they retained in England in 2019.

With Cricket Australia apparently still reluctant to hand Smith any leadership positions, there is a shortage of credible alternatives to Paine as captain.

"I can't see any other options at the moment, which is part of Australia's problem," former skipper Ian Chappell told Channel Nine.

After India ended Australia's 32-year unbeaten streak at Brisbane's Gabba ground to win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy test series, we look at the injury-hit team's unlikely heroes:

MOHAMMED SIRAJ: TRADEGY TO TRIUMPH

Despite grieving his father, who died just before the series, the 26-year-old emerged as one of India's new stars.

Thrust into the limelight after a succession of injuries to front-line bowlers, Siraj rose to the challenge with a maiden five-wicket haul in Brisbane, only his third test.

Siraj's father, an auto-rickshaw driver from the southern city of Hyderabad, always dreamed of seeing his son play for India, but he passed away on November 20.

Siraj stayed in Australia and missed his father's last rites despite an offer to fly back home. The image of Siraj welling up when India's national anthem was played in Sydney went viral.

"The boy has become a man on this tour. Siraj, leader of the attack in his first test series and he has led from the front," said former India opener Virender Sehwag.

WASHINGTON SUNDAR: DEFIANT ON DEBUT

Australia were in the driver's seat after they ran through India's top-order on day three. But in walked Sundar, a 21-year-old test debutant who hit a defiant half-century. Sundar also took three wickets, including the key scalp of Steve Smith.

Sundar became the toast of Indian media and when his father was asked about his son's unusual name, he revealed he had christened him after a friend who helped the struggling family buy uniforms and pay school fees.

He even bought books for Sundar and took him on his bicycle for training.

"My mentor was called Washington. He helped me a lot and I kept my son's name after him as a way to show my gratitude," Sundar's father told local media.

SHARDUL THAKUR: TICKET TO RIDE

Playing his first test of the tour, Thakur steadied India with a valuable 123-run first-innings stand with Sundar and also top-scored with 67.

It was also the third-highest score by an Indian No 8 in Australia.

Growing up in a village in Maharashtra, Thakur, 29, had to commute in crowded local trains for two-and-a-half hours every day to chase his cricketing dreams.

He would set out early and return home late. For one year, he stayed at his coach's small apartment in Mumbai because he could not afford any other accommodation.

"We didn't take any money from him. I got him admitted in my school, and Shardul stayed with us for a year," said the coach, Dinesh Lad.

SHUBMAN GILL: FARMING THE STRIKE

The opener from India's agricultural state of Punjab came in as a replacement for Prithvi Shaw and struck 91 on the final day to pave the way for India's stunning win.

Gill, 21, spent a good amount of his childhood in his home village and was fascinated to see his grandfather, father and uncles working in the fields. It was in the sprawling fields that Gill started playing cricket with farm hands bowling to him.

"I can tell you if he had not been a cricketer, he would have become a farmer. He still has an interest in farming," said his father, Lakhwinder.

Ajinkya Rahane's calm and composed leadership of India in their stunning test triumph over Australia earned widespread praise on Wednesday – and increased pressure on regular captain Virat Kohli ahead of a home series against England next month.

The whole Indian team have become national heroes for their 2-1 series victory sealed in the dramatic finale in Brisbane on Tuesday, where no team had beaten Australia in 32 years.

India coach Ravi Shastri hailed Rahane's tactical command in the series as "simply brilliant".

Rahane, 32, took over from Kohli after India's humiliating opening loss in Adelaide where they were bowled out for 36 and masterminded a spectacular return against Tim Paine's Australians.

India chased down a target of 328 with 18 balls to spare on the fifth day of the final test in Australia's "Fortress Gabba".

The Times of India newspaper hailed "Ajinkya The Invincible" for his unblemished record as skipper – four wins and one draw in five tests substituting for Kohli.

Kohli, who returned to India last month for the birth of his daughter, was among the first to pay tribute to the "grit and determination" shown by the injury-hit team as they retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Kohli will be back as captain when the first test against England begins in Chennai on February 5. But there have been calls for Rahane to stay on.

AJINKYA V VIRAT

"I think I would have really considered keeping Ajinkya Rahane as captain," former England skipper Michael Vaughan wrote on Twitter.

Letting Kohli concentrate on batting "would make India even more dangerous," he added, praising Rahane's "incredible presence and tactical nous".

"Let Ajinkya Rahane remain the captain for tests and Virat Kohli for white ball games," said Vijay Lokapally, a veteran journalist and a Kohli biographer.

"The team will benefit and Virat will concentrate on just smashing the opponents."

Coach Shastri singled out Rahane's leadership for special praise in the Gabba dressing room team talk after the match.

"To lead the side from the position we were and then to make them bounce back and control things in the middle like the way you have done is simply, simply brilliant," Shastri said.

India were skittled out for 36 in their second innings of the first test and lost inside three days.

With Kohli leaving and injuries beginning to mount, nobody expected India to defy the odds and come back to win the series.

But they did, under a captain whose understated style is diametrically opposed to Kohli's in-your-face aggression.

'CALCULATED MANOEUVRES'

India won the second test in Melbourne and drew the third at Sydney after batting out the entire final day for a draw to leave the series on a knife-edge at 1-1.

Further injuries to pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and ace spinner Ravichandran Ashwin created more problems before the decisive fourth test.

Rahane rallied the young side including debutants in paceman T. Natarajan and allrounder Washington Sundar.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant brilliantly answered critics of his form with an unbeaten 89.

He hit the winning runs to star alongside merging fast bowler Mohammed Siraj, who claimed a five-wicket haul in just his third test.

"This will take a while to sink in," said former India captain Bishan Singh Bedi, who hailed the win as "by far the greatest comeback in the history of Indian cricket."

Rahane, he added, "deserves kudos and a lot more."

Bedi said Rahane had shown a "remarkable cool" on the pitch and organised "calculated manoeuvres" that evoked legendary captain Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi.

Pataudi led India to their first overseas test win against New Zealand in Dunedin in 1968. They won the series 3-1 to register their first away triumph.

India have since emerged as one of the world's top test sides under captain including Sourav Ganguly, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Kohli.

While Australia emerged with few injuries from the epic test series against India, the players' egos suffered heavily in defeat and may take time to recover from their bruising.

Pace spearhead Mitchell Starc will head to Sydney for scans on his right hamstring, while opening batsmen David Warner (groin) and Will Pucovski (shoulder) will look to recover from their injury issues before the yet-to-be-confirmed tour of South Africa next month.

Other players will return to their teams in the domestic Big Bash League but their welcome will be muted compared to a year ago, when they arrived as winners after whitewashing Pakistan and India in successive test series.

The 2-1 series defeat to Ajinkya Rahane's India, a side stitched together with debutants and net bowlers by the time of the Brisbane finale, hammered home an uncomfortable truth for home fans: Australia are simply not as good as they thought.

"I'm quite shocked that Australia weren't quite good enough to win this series," former captain Ricky Ponting said on a Cricket Australia website in the wake of the three-wicket defeat in the Gabba decider.

"The cold hard facts of it are pretty much that was the India A team that played this test match and (India) still won.

"That's a real concern for Australia."

Pundits tipped a whitewash for Tim Paine's side after they bowled India out for 36 in winning the Adelaide opener.

Yet Australia ended up embarrassed after their vaunted attack proved incapable of dismissing India twice in Sydney and Brisbane, despite ample time to do so on fifth-day pitches.

Questions will be asked about selectors' faith in Starc after the left-armer managed only 11 wickets at an average of over 40.

Spinner Nathan Lyon also had a forgettable series, with his 100th test at the Gabba spoiled. He finished with nine wickets at an average of 55.11 and fell one short of 400 test victims.

Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith topped the batting in the series but had little help from the other specialist batsmen.

Selectors have a middle order problem, having dropped Travis Head mid-series and got little out of Matthew Wade.

Paine's captaincy is also under scrutiny but there are no credible alternatives.

Selectors remain uncomfortable about reinstating former captain Smith, who fell from grace during the Newlands ball-tampering scandal.

For all their problems, Australia did not leave the series empty-handed. Young allrounder Cameron Green showed plenty of promise with the bat, if not yet the ball.

A late arrival due to concussion, Pucovski shone with a half-century on debut in Sydney before injury struck again.

Australia have always proved quick to regenerate and tend to rebound quickly when their pride has been stung.

"My message to our players will be that we’ve got another opportunity in a month or so’s time," said Paine.

"We learn from our errors and our mistakes in this series and we look to get better in the next one."

India's cricketers were hailed as 'Immortals' on Wednesday following their record-breaking win in Brisbane, but some former greats called for chastened Australia to make changes.

India thrillingly achieved their 328 target with just 18 balls left on the final day to win the four-test series 2-1, the highest successful run chase at Australia's "Fortress Gabba", where the hosts had been unbeaten for 32 years.

"It was the day when The Irrepressibles became The Immortals," declared News Corp's veteran cricket writer Robert Craddock.

"The day when Fortress Gabba was stormed by a group of cavalier raiders who kicked down the draw bridge, stole the crown jewels and raced off into the late afternoon sunshine towards hysterical fans who will cherish the memory forever.

"Take it all India. You deserve it."

India's refusal to play for a draw, which would have been enough for them to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, was lauded.

"The outcome was a revelation: Australia pressed for victory because they had to, India because they wanted to, and the result was a fitting climax to one of the most extraordinary series of all time," wrote Gideon Haigh in The Australian newspaper.

'HUGE FALLOUT'

Most were united in their praise of India, but there was also criticism of Australia.

"I think there'll be a huge fallout from this," said leg-spinning great Shane Warne, commentating on TV, noting that India had been without their entire frontline bowling attack through injury.

"There's not too many times that you lose to the second or third side," he said.

"Tactics will come into question. Bowlers will come into question. People's spots in the team will come into question."

Mitchell Starc, who bowled 16 wicketless overs for 75 on the final day, came in for particular criticism after taking just 11 wickets in the series, with some saying captain Tim Paine had lost faith in the left-arm paceman.

"I know that your impact bowlers are meant to come in and have a little burst, but there just doesn't seem to have been the trust that Mitchell Starc's going to do the job," said former Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist.

Former Australian captain Mark Taylor said: "You can have Starc when he's bowling at his best, but I think we need some subtlety in our bowling.

"We need someone who can swing the ball a bit, someone who can ask questions around lbw or bowled, not always looking to bounce batsmen out or get them caught behind," Taylor said.

Australia should look to bowlers such as the South Australian fast-medium pair Chadd Sayers and Daniel Worrall, who would add something different to the current three-pronged pace attack, said Taylor.

"There's a lot of talk about Australia not being aggressive enough, but I don't agree with that," Taylor said. "I think we need to find some subtlety in our bowling attack."

Some said that Australia should be thanking India for their skill and courage in coming to play the series at all during a global coronavirus pandemic.

"We mightn't be thanking you in five years when you're still whisking away matches from under our noses, but thanks for now, and take a bow," said the Sydney Morning Herald's Greg Baum.

"By series end, few Australians would have begrudged you whatever spoils you took home."

An injury-ravaged India's 2-1 triumph in Australia under a stand-in captain will go down as one of the greatest series ever played, coach Ravi Shastri said on Tuesday.

India were bundled down for a record low of 36 in Adelaide and regular skipper Virat Kohli left a demoralised team behind him as he returned home to attend the birth of his daughter.

Under Ajinkya Rahane, India levelled the series in Melbourne and drew in Sydney but had lost their entire frontline bowling attack to injuries by the time they arrived in Brisbane.

Washington Sundar and T Natarajan, retained as net bowlers, made their test debut, helping India pull off a series victory for the ages after prevailing by three wickets in the decider.

"I'm not someone who really has tears in my eyes but I had real tears because this is unreal," Shastri told a video conference.

"The penny has still not dropped, and it will take a long time to drop. Unreal."

Playing his first series, opener Shubman Gill laid the foundation for India's chase with a classy 91 and number three batsman Cheteshwar Pujara took several blows on his body and helmet during his obdurate 56.

Rishabh Pant then smashed an unbeaten 89 to complete a memorable series victory for the tourists.

"What these guys have pulled off will go down in history as one of the greatest series ever played," Shastri said.

"When you take the Covid situation and the spate of injuries into account, showing stomach for a fight after being bowled out for 36 is unimaginable."

The challenges of living in a bio-secure bubble and the spate of injuries made it the toughest tour he could remember, said the former test player.

"This is the toughest tour ever. We're playing in Covid times, quarantine times and with the multiple injuries - nothing comes close. It surpasses all."

Rahane inspired India's comeback with a captain's century in Melbourne and the Mumbaikar was his modest best after the win.

"I was emotional too. I still don't know what happened and don't know how to describe this," said Rahane, who gifted a signed India jersey to Australia's Nathan Lyon on the spinner's 100th test after the match.

Australian captain Tim Paine insists he is the right man to lead his team to South Africa and to the possible Test championship final at Lords despite a sub-par performance in the test series against India.

India beat Australia by three wickets at the Gabba on Tuesday, the first time since 1988 the Australians have lost a test in Brisbane.

The win ensured the tourists claimed the series 2-1 and retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy they won in Australia in 2018-19.

Paine conceded he was below par in the last two tests.

He dropped a number of chances on the final day in Sydney, when India batted all day to salvage a draw, and missed a stumping on the last day in Brisbane as Rishabh Pant led India to a stunning victory.

Paine also came under heavy criticism from a number of former players over his bowling changes, field placings and his decisions on when to declare.

But he said that he had no intention of stepping down and would take Australia to South Africa in February.

"I'm still looking forward to going to South Africa to try and win a series there," Paine said.

"We had a goal to make the Test championship final -- that's still achievable and it's a goal for me and the group."

India are now top of the Test championship table, with New Zealand second and Australia third.

The series against South Africa is the last chance Australia have of reaching the top two and making the August final at Lords.

Paine was also forced to fend off criticism from former Australian great Adam Gilchrist that he couldn't captain effectively and keep wicket as well.

"I think I had an ordinary day in Sydney, I'll cop that on the chin," Paine said.

"It doesn't always go your way in cricket or in life so for me it's about soldiering on.

"I said a few times I have improvement in me, I still feel like I want to get better and I certainly want to keep leading this team."

Paine was appointed captain and wicketkeeper after the ball tampering scandal in South Africa, which led to Steve Smith being stood down as captain and suspended for 12 months.

Wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant said he was enjoying one of the "biggest moments" of his life after guiding India to a historic win over Australia with a fearless innings on Tuesday.

The 23-year-old hit an attacking 89, including the winning four, to clinch the four-test series and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2-1.

Against all odds, injury-weakened India ended Australia's 32-year unbeaten streak at the Gabba with a record run-chase of 328 runs.

"This is one of the biggest moments of my life now," said Pant.

"It's been a dream series. The team management always backs me and tells me, you are a match-winner and you have to go win the match for the team."

Pant had also threatened to inspire an unlikely win in the third test in Sydney, where he slammed 97 before the tail-enders blocked their way to a vital draw.

"I keep thinking every day that I want to win matches for India, and I did it today," said Pant.

"It was a fifth-day pitch and the ball was turning a bit. I thought I have to be disciplined with my shot selection."

Cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli led tributes Tuesday to India's cricketers after their stunning fourth test and away series win over Australia.

Tendulkar described it as "one of the greatest series wins" after a fearless Rishabh Pant helped the injury-plagued visitors hand Australia their first defeat at Brisbane's Gabba ground since 1988.

"EVERY SESSION WE DISCOVERED A NEW HERO. Every time we got hit, we stayed put & stood taller. We pushed boundaries of belief to play fearless but not careless cricket," Tendulkar tweeted.

EVERY SESSION WE DISCOVERED A NEW HERO.
Every time we got hit, we stayed put & stood taller. We pushed boundaries of belief to play fearless but not careless cricket. Injuries & uncertainties were countered with poise & confidence. One of the greatest series wins!
Congrats India. pic.twitter.com/ZtCChUURLV

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) January 19, 2021

Virat Kohli, India's captain in the first test in Adelaide -- when the team were skittled for 36 -- and who returned home for the birth of his child, said: "WHAT A WIN!!! Yessssss."

"To everyone who doubted us after Adelaide, stand up and take notice. Exemplary performance but the grit and determination was the standout for us the whole way. Well done to all the boys and the management. Enjoy this historic feat lads," Kohli said in a tweet.

WHAT A WIN!!! Yessssss. To everyone who doubted us after Adelaide, stand up and take notice. Exemplary performance but the grit and determination was the standout for us the whole way. Well done to all the boys and the management. Enjoy this historic feat lads. Cheers ???????? @BCCI pic.twitter.com/CgWElgOOO1

— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) January 19, 2021

Sourav Ganguly, the head of India's cricket board, said the 2-1 series victory -- India's second straight series win in Australia -- was nothing short of historic.

"To go to Australia and win a test series in this way... will be remembered in the history of indian cricket forever," Ganguly -- recovering from a heart attack two weeks ago -- tweeted.

Just a remarkable win...To go to Australia and win a test series in this way ..will be remembered in the history of indian cricket forever ..Bcci announces a 5 cr bonus for the team ..The value of this win is beyond any number ..well done to every member of the touring party..

— Sourav Ganguly (@SGanguly99) January 19, 2021

He announced a special bonus for the team of 50 million rupees ($680 000).

Cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle said the Gabba ground is "No longer the Gabbatoir. This is history."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that the country was "overjoyed".

"Their remarkable energy and passion was visible throughout. So was their stellar intent, remarkable grit and determination. Congratulations to the team! Best wishes for your future endeavours," he said.

Even Google's India-born chief executive Sundar Pichai got in on the act.

"One of the greatest test series wins ever. Congrats India and well played Australia, what a series," Pichai tweeted.

'PLUNDER DOWN UNDER'

The Times of India's headline online was "Plunder Down Under" and the paper was holding a poll to decide whether this was "India's greatest win ever".

"The forecast was for rain... but it rained boundaries and sixes from the bat of the Indian batsmen as they put in a gallant effort to pull off a thrilling win," the Hindustan Times said.

The Indian Express said the day "will go down in the annals of Indian cricket as one of its most glorious days -- when a cobbled-up bunch, missing most of the biggest stars, trumped Australia at its fortress Gabba."

'EGG ON FACE'

Former England captain Michael Vaughan, who had predicted a 4-0 clean sweep by Australia, admitted he now had "egg on my face" and was "getting a lot of tweets from #India !!!"

"The Greatest test series win of all time," Vaughan said, calling Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill "future superstars".

"Well done #India you have just shown the way for England to get back those Ashes back later in the year," he added.

The Greatest Test series win of all time ... Well done #India you have just shown the way for England to get back those Ashes back later in the year ... ?? https://t.co/eWKaKFfJ41

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) January 19, 2021

Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan called it an "absolutely marvellous victory for our team!!!"

"Love to all our boys and greatly admire their resilience to power us through to this win," he tweeted.

Ordinary Indians were also delighted.

"This is a dream win. No one expected them to beat Australia... Every player proved his worth and it will help shape Indian cricket in future," said Sunny Ahuja, a cricket fan from Delhi.

"Australia were playing India's B team on their home ground but the youngsters showed their character and demolished the mighty Australians beautifully," said Rashed Beigh in Kashmir.

Of all the behind-the-wicket banter that Australia captain Tim Paine has served up in 35 tests, his narky comment to Ravichandran Ashwin may end up the one he rues the most after India's incredible series-sealing win in Brisbane on Tuesday.

"Can't wait to get you to the Gabba," Paine snarled at the Indian spinner before Ashwin helped bat the tourists to a galvanising draw at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Paine had good reason to feel confident Australia would rise up and crush India in Brisbane, a ground where the home side were unbeaten since 1988.

Ajinkya Rahane's India were unravelling, with the last of their first-choice bowlers suffering series-ending injuries.

Australia's vaunted pace attack of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood was still intact, and salivating at the prospect of the Gabba's steepening bounce.

With Ashwin ruled out of the series finale with a back problem, wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant delivered the ultimate riposte on his behalf by smashing a brilliant 89 to guide India to a three-wicket win.

It seemed scarcely possible that India would save the match, much less win it after being set a victory target of 328 runs on day four.

The highest successful chase in a Gabba test was in 1951 when Australia finished 236 for seven against the West Indies.

Yet Australia's bowlers could do little to stem the tide as Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara and Pant humbled them with three match-winning innings.

Paine gave full credit to India's bravery in classy post-match comments but was jeered by sections of the crowd at the so-called "Gabbatoir".

Further brickbats will follow as the Australian public digest how their cricket team could fall to such injury-ravaged opponents.

Paine was also in charge when Australia lost 2-1 to India in the 2018/19 series on home soil, yet Australia were weaker then and India were stronger.

Former players and pundits had already turned on Paine after Sydney, criticising his conduct and his tactics in the draw.

While the acrimony will only grow after Brisbane, 36-year-old Paine said he would not voluntarily hand the captaincy to a team mate, no matter that it might help him prolong his career.

"I still feel like I want to get better. We’ve got some unfinished business ... and I intend to finish that," he told reporters.

"I’ve said many times in the last two or three years that I don’t look past the next series.

"I’m loving it. I’m going to cop heaps of flak, I know it.

"That’s what I signed up for ... I’m totally fine with that."

India pulled off a record run-chase in a thrilling final session to hand Australia their first defeat at Brisbane's Gabba ground since 1988 and clinch the four-test series 2-1 on Tuesday.

Wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant starred with a swashbuckling 89 not out as the injury-depleted visitors overhauled the 328-run target with three overs to go, winning by three wickets.

Australia had not been beaten at the Gabba since falling to Viv Richards' all-conquering West Indies side by nine wickets in November 1988.

India's 329 for seven also smashed the 69-year-old record for the biggest run-chase at the Gabba, set by Australia who scored 236 for seven to beat the West Indies in 1951.

The series win was a remarkable achievement considering India were bowled out for their lowest test score of 36 to lose the first test in Adelaide, before bouncing back to win the second in Melbourne.

The visitors, ravaged by injuries and captain Virat Kohli's absence for paternity leave, then batted throughout the final day to draw the third test in Sydney.

"It really means a lot to us. I don't know how to describe this victory but I'm really proud of all the boys," said India's interim skipper Ajinkya Rahane.

"They showed character, attitude, especially after the Adelaide test match. We decided we're going to fight really hard... and we just wanted to give our best."

Man-of-the-match Pant, who played a similar innings in the drawn Sydney test, blasted his 89 from 138 balls with nine fours and a six.

His innings followed an equally impressive knock from 21-year-old Shubman Gill, who made 91 at the top of the order earlier in the day.

'COMPLETELY OUTPLAYED'

Cheteshwar Pujara's 56 was also vital, the gritty No 3 hit 10 times by Australia's quicks, taking blows to the fingers, arm, ribs and head as he was subjected to a searching examination by Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood.

Cummins with 4-55 was easily the pick of the Australian attack, sending down 24 overs of pace and hostility, but the rest of the bowlers looked fatigued after bowling all day in Sydney just eight days ago.

"I'm absolutely disappointed, no doubt about that. We've come here to win the test and win the series," said Australia captain Tim Paine.

"It's probably a little bit of a trend the whole series –- I think in the key moments we were found wanting and completely outplayed by a really disciplined, really tough Indian side who fully deserved the series win."

Despite Australia's fearsome record at the Gabba, the Indian batsmen showed no fear and never looked interested in playing for a draw, even after losing the wickets of Pujara and Mayank Agarwal after tea.

Pant took advantage of any loose ball, but also played some outrageous strokes, showing the influence T20 cricket has had on tests.

HIGH INJURY TOLL

India started the morning on four for no loss after bowling Australia out for 294 just before rain stopped play late on the fourth day.

Australia's hopes of a series-clinching victory were raised early when Cummins drew Rohit Sharma forward to a ball that caught the outside edge, Tim Paine taking a fine diving catch.

But as India have shown since their capitulation in Adelaide, when they were bowled out for 36, they are never out of the contest.

Their effort in the fourth test is even more admirable considering the high injury toll on tour.

Their bowling attack was led by Mohammad Siraj, who debuted in Melbourne, supported by Navdeep Saini, Shardul Thakur, T. Natarajan and Washington Sundar, who had two tests between them heading into Brisbane.

The tourists were without the services of front-line seamers Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami, Umesh Yadav and Japrit Bumrah and regular spin bowlers Ravi Jadeja and Ravi Ashwin.

After just one wicket in the first session, Australia could only manage two after lunch, with Gill falling for his superb 91 and skipper Rahane a quickfire 24.

Gill was magnificent on a fifth-day wicket, smashing the Australian bowlers to all corners of the ground.

He hit eight fours and two towering sixes in his 146-ball innings before he became Nathan Lyon's 398th test victim, edging an arm ball to first slip where Steve Smith took a sharp catch.

With Pujara putting down the anchor at one end, Rahane raced to 24 from just 22 balls before he edged Cummins to Australian 'keeper Paine to leave India 167 for three.

India looked in control through the final session and despite losing three wickets in the last hour, they cruised home with three overs to spare when Pant hit the winning four off Hazlewood.

Report Day 1
Report Day 2
Report Day 3
Report Day 4

AUSTRALIA: David Warner, Marcus Harris, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Matthew Wade, Cameron Green, Tim Paine (capt), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood

INDIA: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (capt), Mayank Agarwal, Rishabh Pant, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Navdeep Saini, Mohammad Siraj, T Natarajan.

India pulled off a record run-chase in a thrilling final session to hand Australia their first defeat at Brisbane's Gabba ground since 1988 and clinch the four-test series 2-1 on Tuesday.

Wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant starred with a swashbuckling 89 not out as the injury-depleted visitors overhauled the 328-run target with three overs to go, winning by three wickets.

Australia had not been beaten at the Gabba since falling to Viv Richards' all-conquering West Indies side by nine wickets in November 1988.

India's 329 for seven also smashed the 69-year-old record for the biggest run-chase at the Gabba, set by Australia who scored 236 for seven to beat the West Indies in 1951.

The series win was a remarkable achievement considering India were bowled out for their lowest test score of 36 to lose the first test in Adelaide, before bouncing back to win the second in Melbourne.

The visitors, ravaged by injuries and captain Virat Kohli's absence for paternity leave, then batted throughout the final day to draw the third test in Sydney.

"It really means a lot to us. I don't know how to describe this victory but I'm really proud of all the boys," said India's interim skipper Ajinkya Rahane.

"They showed character, attitude, especially after the Adelaide test match. We decided we're going to fight really hard... and we just wanted to give our best."

Man-of-the-match Pant, who played a similar innings in the drawn Sydney test, blasted his 89 from 138 balls with nine fours and a six.

His innings followed an equally impressive knock from 21-year-old Shubman Gill, who made 91 at the top of the order earlier in the day.

'COMPLETELY OUTPLAYED'

Cheteshwar Pujara's 56 was also vital, the gritty No 3 hit 10 times by Australia's quicks, taking blows to the fingers, arm, ribs and head as he was subjected to a searching examination by Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood.

Cummins with 4-55 was easily the pick of the Australian attack, sending down 24 overs of pace and hostility, but the rest of the bowlers looked fatigued after bowling all day in Sydney just eight days ago.

"I'm absolutely disappointed, no doubt about that. We've come here to win the test and win the series," said Australia captain Tim Paine.

"It's probably a little bit of a trend the whole series –- I think in the key moments we were found wanting and completely outplayed by a really disciplined, really tough Indian side who fully deserved the series win."

Despite Australia's fearsome record at the Gabba, the Indian batsmen showed no fear and never looked interested in playing for a draw, even after losing the wickets of Pujara and Mayank Agarwal after tea.

Pant took advantage of any loose ball, but also played some outrageous strokes, showing the influence T20 cricket has had on tests.

HIGH INJURY TOLL

India started the morning on four for no loss after bowling Australia out for 294 just before rain stopped play late on the fourth day.

Australia's hopes of a series-clinching victory were raised early when Cummins drew Rohit Sharma forward to a ball that caught the outside edge, Tim Paine taking a fine diving catch.

But as India have shown since their capitulation in Adelaide, when they were bowled out for 36, they are never out of the contest.

Their effort in the fourth test is even more admirable considering the high injury toll on tour.

Their bowling attack was led by Mohammad Siraj, who debuted in Melbourne, supported by Navdeep Saini, Shardul Thakur, T. Natarajan and Washington Sundar, who had two tests between them heading into Brisbane.

The tourists were without the services of front-line seamers Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami, Umesh Yadav and Japrit Bumrah and regular spin bowlers Ravi Jadeja and Ravi Ashwin.

After just one wicket in the first session, Australia could only manage two after lunch, with Gill falling for his superb 91 and skipper Rahane a quickfire 24.

Gill was magnificent on a fifth-day wicket, smashing the Australian bowlers to all corners of the ground.

He hit eight fours and two towering sixes in his 146-ball innings before he became Nathan Lyon's 398th test victim, edging an arm ball to first slip where Steve Smith took a sharp catch.

With Pujara putting down the anchor at one end, Rahane raced to 24 from just 22 balls before he edged Cummins to Australian 'keeper Paine to leave India 167 for three.

India looked in control through the final session and despite losing three wickets in the last hour, they cruised home with three overs to spare when Pant hit the winning four off Hazlewood.

Report Day 1
Report Day 2
Report Day 3
Report Day 4

AUSTRALIA: David Warner, Marcus Harris, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Matthew Wade, Cameron Green, Tim Paine (capt), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood

INDIA: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (capt), Mayank Agarwal, Rishabh Pant, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Navdeep Saini, Mohammad Siraj, T Natarajan.

An injury-ravaged India have shown tremendous resilience to stay afloat in the four-test series against Australia and Mohammed Siraj best illustrated their never-say-die attitude with his maiden five-wicket haul in the Brisbane decider on Monday.

It has been an emotionally testing tour for the 26-year-old who lost his father in November but stayed on to make his test debut in Melbourne.

His mental strength was further tested in Sydney, where a section of the crowd targeted him, prompting an investigation into India's allegation of racial abuse of some of their players.

Heading into Brisbane, Siraj found himself leading a depleted Indian pace attack that included Shardul Thakur and Navdeep Saini, both of whom had played only one test, plus debutant T Natarajan.

The left-arm quick responded by claiming 5-73 to help to dismiss Australia for 294 in their second innings at the Gabba.

"I'm grateful I got this opportunity to play for India and managed a five-for. I wish my father was around to see it," an emotional Siraj told a video conference.

"It was tough after he passed away. I spoke to my family and gained strength after talking to my mother. My focus was to fulfil my father's dream of me playing a test match for India."

Siraj has done a lot more than that and will finish the series as India's most successful bowler with 13 wickets from three tests.

As he led the side off the field, Siraj received a standing ovation from his team mates and was hugged by India's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who missed the match with an abdomen injury.

Tributes also flowed from former players for a performance that helped to keep the sries level at 1-1.

"Wonderful moment for Mohammed Siraj. Deserving in so many ways but even more so because of what he's been through the last few months. His father would be so proud," former England women's cricketer Isa Guha.

India will need to score 328 runs for victory or bat all day for a draw after bowling Australia out for 294 midway through the final session on day four of the decisive fourth test at the Gabba on Monday.

Mohammad Siraj had Josh Hazlewood caught on the boundary to end the Australian innings as rain clouds formed over the ground.

Indian openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill then faced just 11 balls, reaching four without loss, before light rain began to fall and play was called off for the day.

Siraj and fellow quick Shardul Thakur were exceptional throughout Monday as they kept the Australian scoring rate largely under control while taking wickets at regular intervals.

Although most of the Australian batting order got starts, only Steve Smith converted and even he fell for 55 when surprised by a Thakur short ball.

Australia need to win to regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy but, with more rain forecast for Tuesday, India will fancy their chances of surviving for the draw they need to keep the silverware.

The highest run chase to achieve victory at the Gabba is the 236 that Australia scored to beat the West Indies in 1951.

But as India have shown since their disastrous capitulation in the first test in Adelaide when they were bowled out for 36, they are never out of the contest.

They came back and won the Boxing Day test in Melbourne then batted for more than a day to draw Sydney's third test.

Smith said offspinner Nathan Lyon, who is playing his 100th test and needs three more scalps to reach 400 test wickets, could play a big role on Tuesday.

"There's a nice crack forming outside the right-handers' off stump that he'll be looking to aim at," Smith said.

TRICKY WICKET

"If he hits good areas consistently tomorrow there is certainly no reason why he can't create some chances on a day-five wicket, that's for sure.

"The game's in a nice place for us – the wicket is starting to play a few tricks," he added.

"Today a few balls shot up so tomorrow it's going to be a case of hitting the right areas and letting the natural variation of a day five wicket do its work, and hopefully we can hang on to the chances."

However, India will feel they can at least save the test against an Australian attack that looked fatigued in the first innings.

India claimed four wickets in the morning session to peg back a flying start by the Australians with David Warner and Marcus Harris taking advantage of some poor bowling.

The Australian openers added 68 runs off 19 overs when, with the score on 89, Harris fell for 38 when he tried to duck a Thakur short ball only for the ball to graze his glove on the way through to wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.

It prompted a mini-collapse as two runs later debutant Washington Sundar trapped Warner lbw for 48, the Australian opener's highest score since his return from a groin strain in the third test in Sydney.

First innings century-maker Marnus Labuschagne came to the crease and continued to attack, blasting five boundaries on his way to a quickfire 25 before he was straightened up by a Siraj delivery and edged a simple catch to Sharma at second slip.

Siraj, who was expensive in his early overs, then had Matthew Wade caught behind down the leg side for a duck three balls later to leave Australia 123 for four.

Smith and Cameron Green then began to take the game away from the visitors, though both had let-offs.

Smith was dropped at long-off by Siraj on 38 while Green survived a caught and bowled by the same bowler on 14.

But Siraj, who took 5-73, made amends when he got one to leap into Smith's glove with the former Australian captain on 55, while Thakur went on to finish with 4-61 as he accounted for the wickets of Green, Tim Paine and Nathan Lyon.

Report Day 1
Report Day 2
Report Day 3

AUSTRALIA: David Warner, Marcus Harris, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Matthew Wade, Cameron Green, Tim Paine (capt), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood

INDIA: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (capt), Mayank Agarwal, Rishabh Pant, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Navdeep Saini, Mohammad Siraj, T Natarajan.

A pair of unlikely third-day batting heroes gave India a fighting chance of securing the draw they need in the fourth test against Australia to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Brisbane on Sunday.

Washington Sundar and Shardul Thakur, in just his second test, put on 123 runs for the seventh wicket – a record for India at the Gabba – taking their team from a precarious 186 for seven to 309 before Thakur was bowled by Pat Cummins for an entertaining 67.

Allrounder Sundar, on debut, batted well with the tail until he guided a Mitchell Starc short ball to Cameron Green in the gully to fall for 62.

By the time Mohammad Siraj was bowled by Josh Hazlewood, giving him figures of 5-57, India had reached 336, only 33 runs behind Australia's first innings total of 369.

Australian openers Marcus Harris and David Warner survived six testing overs as Australia finished the third day on 21 without loss, a lead of 54 runs with all 10 second-innings wickets intact.

Without Sundar and Thakur, India would have been in far greater trouble against an Australia side who must win the match to regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with the four-match series locked at 1-1.

The two smashed the previous seventh-wicket record for India at the Gabba of 58, set by Kapil Dev and Manoj Prabhakar in 1991.

Thakur said he used some words coach Ravi Shastri said to him before he played a match in the ODI series as inspiration.

"He said if you perform in this one today you will be rewarded and people will love you for your performance – that one thing was on my mind," he said.

"That was my biggest positive and keeping those things in my mind, I just kept playing."

Thakur said he and Sundar worked well with each other to make sure they kept their concentration.

"If someone was losing focus or playing a loose shot we would immediately come together and say let's get back to normal and play the basics," he said.

By contrast, India's top-order batsmen all squandered chances to score heavily, with all but Shubman Gill getting starts but all except Cheteshwar Pujara falling to rash shots.

DEFIANT STAND

The visitors began the extended morning session on 62 for two, with Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane at the crease.

Both men looked to keep the scoreboard ticking over, in contrast to Saturday afternoon, where they were more intent on survival.

They saw off Starc and Cummins but Hazlewood was introduced into the attack and produced a brilliant over which led to Pujara's downfall.

Hazlewood had Pujara in trouble when a short ball followed him as he tried to evade it, the ball hitting his glove and falling just short of Cameron Green in the gully.

But two deliveries later Hazlewood got a ball to angle in, then straighten slightly to catch the outside edge of Pujara's bat and Australia's captain and wicketkeeper Tim Paine took a routine catch.

Rahane and Mayank Agarwal steadied the ship but with the lunch break in sight, Rahane couldn't resist playing at a wide ball from left-arm paceman Starc angling across his body and edged a comfortable catch to Matthew Wade at fourth slip.

The Indian captain, on 37, threw his head back in disgust at the manner of his dismissal before trudging off.

The Indians began the second session at 161 for four with the dangerous Agarwal and Rishabh Pant at the crease.

However, like Rahane, both Agarwal and Pant fell to injudicious shots.

Agarwal slashed at a wide delivery from Cummins' second ball after the resumption to fall for 38, caught at second slip by Steve Smith.

Then to compound India's problems, Pant did the same to Hazlewood, only to be caught in the gully by Green for 23.

At that stage Australia were in command of the test but Sundar, playing his first test, and Thakur, in his second, had other ideas and defied the bowling attack with a mixture of solid defence and attractive stroke making.

Hazlewood conceded Australia could have done better during their partnership.

"We probably didn't execute as well as we could have during that period," he said.

"We created a few half chances and on any other day we take those.

"But credit to those two guys, they batted beautifully."

Report Day 1
Report Day 2

AUSTRALIA: David Warner, Marcus Harris, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Matthew Wade, Cameron Green, Tim Paine (capt), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood

INDIA: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (capt), Mayank Agarwal, Rishabh Pant, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Navdeep Saini, Mohammad Siraj, T Natarajan.