Australians valiant in defeat: Waugh

Australia selector Mark Waugh says Steve Smith’s men can hold their heads up high after valiantly losing the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Dharamsala on Tuesday.

Australia lost the thrilling series 2-1, but Waugh says the tourists have competed every step of the way with the world’s No.1 Test team in their home conditions.

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“There's been nothing between the two teams,” Waugh said on the Big Sports Breakfast. “I believe we've played equally as well as the Indians on the tour.

“Obviously in this Test match we haven't played quite as well, but there's been a lot of positive signs from the Australian camp.

“Individuals have done well so we can take a lot of confidence from playing well in conditions where we don't normally do well.

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“To be one-all going into this Test match, if you said that before the start of the series you would have been pretty happy.

“We like to win, of course. But the positives are it's been great viewing and Test match cricket has probably been put back on the map a bit.”

While Smith was the standout for the Australian’s with 499 runs and three centuries, the captain wasn't the only member of the touring party to make a significant contribution.

Youngster Matthew Renshaw, who celebrated his 21st birthday on day three in Dharamsala, was the only other Australian besides Smith to score more than 200 runs in the series.

Renshaw battled a severely upset stomach in the first Test to post a resilient 68 in Pune and followed it up with 60 in the second Test in Bengaluru.

The Queenslander’s ability to stick to his game plan and assess conditions was so impressive that the senior members of the team took a leaf out of the left-hander’s book.

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Australia’s middle-order had their moments in the sun while the bowling unit was exceptional, led by spin twins Nathan Lyon and Stephen O’Keefe and returning fast bowler Pat Cummins.

Only vice-captain David Warner failed to leave a mark, with batting coach Graeme Hick suggesting the opener may have put too much pressure on himself to perform.

Waugh, who was on his last assignment as a Test selector following the National Selection Panel overhaul, paid tribute to the gallant group.

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“(Cummins) got three wickets in India's first innings but I've seen guys bowl worse and get seven wickets,” Waugh said.

“He bowled superbly ... he was unlucky. So it's great signs for Pat and he's done a great job.

“Josh Hazlewood has been enormous again and I think all our bowlers have bowled really well. Nathan Lyon and O'Keefe have carried a huge workload and done well.

“Matt Renshaw, this Test match he was disappointing but overall I think you've got to give him a tick for his series.

“Shaun Marsh and Peter Handscomb have been inconsistent, but they saved the match in the third Test.

“Glenn Maxwell made a hundred, I think Matthew Wade has kept really well in tough conditions and shown good signs with the bat.

“It's probably really only David Warner who's left a lot of runs in the bank.

“He's been the one player that's struggled and he's one of our bigger players. So there's no doubt his form has probably hurt the result in the series.

“But I think every other player could almost say they've done well and at times have really shone. So overall, pretty good.”