Veteran spinner calls time on 106-Test career after rain forces an early end to the third Test, with the five-match series tied 1-1.

India's spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has announced his retirement from international cricket in all formats after his side's third Test against Australia in Brisbane ended in a draw.

"This will be my last day as an Indian cricketer in all formats at the international level," the 38-year-old told reporters at the Gabba ground.

"I do feel there is a bit of punch in me as a cricketer, but I would like to showcase that in club-level cricket."

Ashwin played only one of the three matches of the five-Test series as he took one wicket in the Adelaide Test.

The 38-year-old has taken 537 wickets in his 106 Tests at an average of 24.00, leaving him seventh on the all-time list and second only to Anil Kumble (619) for his country.

He also played 116 ODIs and 65 Twenty20 matches.

Ashwin made his Test debut in 2011 against the West Indies and was also handy with the bat, scoring 3,503 runs with six hundreds and 14 fifties.

The third game ended in a draw after rain cut short Australia's bid for victory on the final day, raising the stakes for Melbourne, where the series shifts for the traditional Boxing Day clash.

India were eight for no loss when tea was called early due to poor light, with the tourists needing 267 runs for victory.

With a heavy downpour preventing the resumption of play after the break, the game was abandoned and the series remains locked at 1-1.

"We will take it of course," India captain Rohit Sharma said during the post-match presentation.

"We go to Melbourne with the confidence that we can try to pull things our way."

Pat Cummins declared Australia's second innings closed at 89 for seven to hand India an unlikely target of 275 runs as dark clouds gathered near the ground.

Cummins and fellow pacer Mitchell Starc bowled just 2.1 overs at the Indian opener before play was stopped.

Yashasvi Jaiswal was four not out, with KL Rahul also on four.

"Unfortunately a lot of rain, which you can't do anything about... I'm really proud of how the guys played," says Cummins.

"We were right ahead of the game ... We checked off just about every box we could."

Australia bowled India out for 260 after posting a first innings of 445, with rain lashing the match throughout.

After capturing India's last wicket in the first hour on day five, Australia led by 185 runs, but rain denied them the chance to bat until after lunch.

Chasing quick runs, Australia slumped to 33 for five as Akash Deep and Jasprit Bumrah removed the top four for single-figure scores, a day after the pacers combined in a brave 10th-wicket partnership to ensure India would avoid the follow-up.

Travis Head and Alex Carey (19 not out) briefly stopped the bleeding with a 27-run partnership before Head, top-spinner Mohammed Siraj, was out for 17.

Cummins smashed 22 off 10 balls before becoming Bumrah's third wicket and declaring five balls later.

Australia's hopes of forcing a result were always hostage to the weather, but their chances of victory were already slim as their attack was down a man.

Pace stalwart Josh Hazlewood was ruled out after succumbing to a calf injury, while there were also concerns over all-rounder Mitchell Marsh's fitness after bowling just two overs in the match.

Head was named player of the match after scoring 152 in Australia's first innings, having also scored a mammoth century in the hosts' second Test win in Adelaide.