Steven Smith shines with another ton as Australia draw fourth Test

Australia's stand-in Test captain Steven Smith scored yet another century - his fourth of the series - to help his side draw the fourth and final Test match against India at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday.

Australia had already won the series before the Test began. Smith confidently chose to bat after he won the toss. Australia's openers, David Warner and Chris Rogers, played an impressive brand of cricket from the start and kept India's opening attack, wicketless for over 40 overs.

Warner was the first to fall, shortly after he reached three figures and Rogers followed shortly after, just five runs shy of a ton. The 200-run opening stand had laid the platform for a large first-innings total for the hosts. Shane Watson and Smith carried on from where the openers had left off.

Smith hurried to his half-century from just 67 deliveries. He now has at least a fifty or a century in seven consecutive Test matches he has played. The remarkable feat is the best such stretch by an Australian since Simon Katich went nine Tests with such scores in 2009-10.

The Smith-Watson combine had added 144 by stumps on the first day. Smith continued his sublime form on the second day as well. He reached his hundred from his 168th delivery with a flick through midwicket for a boundary off a low full toss from Umesh Yadav.

He eventually he fell for 117 when Yadav pitched the ball up outside off, and a rare lack of footwork from Smith resulted in an edge behind. Australia's top four helped their side post a massive first-innings total of 572 runs.

While Smith shone for Australia, his opposite number, Virat Kohli, continued his purple patch in India's innings. The visitors lost their opener, Murali Vijay, off the third ball, but his opening partner KL Rahul played impressively and scored his maiden Test ton.

Kohli joined Rahul after Rohit Sharma was dismissed in the 44th over and the duo put on a 141-run third-wicket stand. Despite Kohli and Rahul's heroics, India were dismissed 97 runs shy of Australia's first-innings total.

Smith was Australia's top scorer in the second innings as well, with a well-made 71 from just 70 balls. He, Rogers and eventually Joe Burns added 251 to the tally before the declaration. India needed 349 to win the Test.

India's top-five batsmen found runs in the second innings but they managed just 252 runs by stumps on the last day.

"It was a very good series win, that is the most important thing for us. Tough day in the office for us. We did not get the variable bounce we were expecting on a day-five pitch. There were a couple of chances that did not come off the glove and things like that. Credit to India for the way they played today. Really enjoyed this series, some pretty flat wickets and I have enjoyed batting, to make four hundreds in a series is very satisfying. I have really enjoyed captaining these guys, they played their hearts out today," Smith said after he was named Man of the Series.