Gilchrist bows out as Australia take series

ADELAIDE, Australia -- Adam Gilchrist's glittering Test career drew to a close as the fourth and final Test against India in Adelaide ended in a draw to give the Australians a 2-1 series victory.

Gilchrist, who broke the world record for wicketkeeping dismissals earlier in the Test, took the catch to dismiss India's last day batting hero Virender Sehwag for 151 and departed the field to a guard of honor by his teammates.

"It's happiness, joy, sadness, every emotion you could imagine I suppose," he told Channel Nine television.

"To walk away from something you love so much... it was a big decision but I know it is the right one."

India, who resumed overnight on 45 for one wicket, declared on 269 for seven wickets, an overall lead of 232 runs, as the game was played out to its almost inevitable draw after massive first innings scored by both teams on a placid wicket.

It was a low-key finish to a series marked by exciting cricket and controversy with Harbhajan Singh's appeal against a racism charge in the second Test in Sydney due to be heard on Tuesday.

The spinner is looking to overturn a three-Test ban, a punishment which left the series in the balance with the tourists threatening to return home, angered by his treatment amid claims of poor sportsmanship and disputed umpiring decisions.

Sehwag's 13th Test century came off just 123 balls, but other Indian contributions were patchy, with Sachin Tendulkar making just 13 on what could be his final Test appearance in Australia.

When VVS Laxman perished for 12 to a short-pitched delivery from Brett Lee, Sehwag became more watchful and finding solid support from Mahendra Singh Dhoni they took India to tea without further loss.

Indian captain Anil Kumble, who would have been heartened by the performance of his side against the world's top-rated Test team, batted to the bitter end with no time left to put Australia in again.

Gilchrist, who will play in the one-day triangular series against India and Sri Lanka, will be remembered as one of the best wicketkeeper-batsman in Test history, the dismissal of Sehwag off Andrew Symonds taking him to an overall tally of 416 from 96 Tests.

With a Test batting career average of 47.60 and outstanding performances in helping Australia to three successive World Cup wins in one-day cricket, Gilchrist will be difficult to replace.

In other cricket news on Monday, star paceman Shane Bond has had his contract with New Zealand terminated because of his links with the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL).

It means the 32-year-old will be unable to take his place for the Kiwis in the upcoming Test and one-day series against England.

Bond believed that signing for the unsanctioned ICL would still allow him to play for his country, but the International Cricket Council, the game's world governing body, has since ruled that contracted players cannot be released for unsanctioned events, leaving the New Zealand authorities no option than to sack Bond. E-mail to a friend