Virender Sehwag, the India opening batsman, denied the retiring Australian wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist a fairytale finish to his Test career on Monday as the fourth Test match ended in a tame draw.

After trailing by 37 on the first innings, India were 269 for seven, an overall lead of 232, when stumps were drawn early on the final day, the result handing Australia a 2-1 win in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.

The home side went into the final day determined to send Gilchrist off with an unlikely win, but a docile pitch and the diligent batting of Sehwag, who scored 151, ensured a comfortable finish for the Indians.

After the game, Gilchrist admitted to feeling emotional, but was content with his decision. "It's happiness, joy, sadness, every emotion you could imagine I suppose," he said. "To walk away from something you love so much . . . it was a big decision but I know it is the right one."

Gilchrist was given a guard of honour by his Australian team-mates as he came onto the field at the start of the day. He later tried to speak to his team-mates before tea, but was overcome by the occasion.

"I tried to get a few words out during the tea break, I figured it was the last time in a Test match I'd be in the change room with just the guys," he said. "It was very difficult, that change room is what means most.

"I was bawling my eyes out about two minutes before it [returning to the field]."

Gilchrist did give the local crowd something to cheer by claiming two dismissals to take his record tally to 416, three more than Mark Boucher, of South Africa. He caught V. V. S. Laxman on 12 down the leg side off Brett Lee's bowling and then caught Sehwag from the bowling of Andrew Symonds late in the day.

There was no fairytale Australian farewell for Sachin Tendulkar, the brilliant India batsman, either.

Having made 153 in the first innings, he survived a third umpire decision from the first ball he faced, but was run out for 13 by a direct hit from Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson in his follow through.

Tendulkar had clipped the ball down the leg side and took off, but was sent back by Sehwag and was well out of his ground when Johnson's direct throw hit the stumps.

India suffered a setback when Rahul Dravid, their batsman, was forced to retire hurt early in the day for eleven after breaking the middle finger on his right hand when he was struck by a rising delivery from Lee.

There was more drama on the first ball faced by Tendulkar, who drove a ball firmly into close-in fieldsman Phil Jaques. The ball rebounded to Symonds, who claimed a catch.

The decision was referred to the third umpire, but replays showed the ball bounced in front of Jaques before ricocheting off his shin.

Sehwag was dropped on two late on the fourth day as Michael Clarke failed to take another easy chance at second slip off Lee's bowling. Sehwag made the most of his good fortune to bat India towards safety.

Sehwag's 13th hundred - his first in a second innings - capped an impressive return to Test cricket after he was left out of the first two Tests. He has also received plaudits for his bowling.

He played some glorious shots, reaching his first hundred since June 2006 off just 123 balls.

The 29-year-old adopted a more watchful approach at the crease after hitting his century and was at the crease for 354 minutes, faced 236 balls and hit 13 fours and two sixes.