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Chandigarh: Chasing a 133-run target, India registered their best-ever series victory over Australia after winning the third Test to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the 4-match series.
Australia have now lost eight of their last 10 Tests in India, but they can hold their heads high after today. They stretched this all the way with such limited resources.
Dhoni is cool about this, but Fletcher is shouting and almost seems he might invade the field. Jadeja is jubilant, Dhoni doesn't show much emption.
This is only the fourth time India have won three Tests in a series, and only the third time they have led by 3-0.
India lost the crucial wicket of Virat Kohli right after he and Sachin Tendulkar helped the hosts pass 100 runs on the fifth and final day of third Test.
Peter Siddle got an all-important breakthrough for the visitors when he forced Kohli to hit the ball straight to Phillip Hughes at short midwicket.
The Tendulkar-Kohli duo, who put up a 33-run stand, held their nerves to and played sensible shots right after Nathan Lyon joined the party by dismissing an in-form Cheteshwar Pujara for 28 runs.
Pujara, in his attempt to hit the ball on the leg-side, was caught plumb before the wicket by Lyon thereby ending a 28-run stand that the Saurashtra batsman had with Kohli for the second wicket.
Earlier in the day, after bowling out Australia for 223, India suffered first blow when Xavier Doherty struck to dismiss Murali Vijay after he and Pujara added 42-run stand in quick time for the first wicket to set the foundation for India.
Vijay hammered five boundaries in his 26 runs knock.
India's spinners once again worked their magic as they set the hosts on course to achieving their best-ever series win over Australia, who were left trying to salvage a draw in the third Test on Monday.
Resuming on 75 for three, the Australians were bundled out for 223 in their second innings, setting India an achievable target of 133 to win in a minimum of 27 overs on the fifth and final day at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) Stadium.
At tea, India were 30 for no loss, needing another 103 runs.
Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja was once again the most effective bowler for the hosts, returning impressive figures of three for 35 -- all his three wickets, including that of Australian skipper Michael Clarke, coming on the final day.
There were two wickets apiece for fellow left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha and off-break bowler Ravichandran Ashwin. Ashwin leads the wickets tally in the series with 22 scalps, followed by Jadeja, who has 17 to his name, reflecting the Indian spinners' dominance.
Young paceman Bhuvneshwar Kumar had taken three wickets on Sunday to rock the Australian top-order. India grabbed the remaining seven Australian wickets in the two sessions while giving away 148 runs.
Ashwin and Jadeja finished the innings after the last-wicket pair of Mitchell Starc (35) and Xavier Doherty added 44 runs in 65 minutes, and more importantly, consuming 18 overs.
Nathan Lyon, Michael Clarke, overnight batsman Phillip Hughes (69), Mosies Henriques, Peter Siddle, Brad Haddin and Starc were the batsmen to have been dismissed today, which left India within sniffing distance of winning their third straight Test against Australia.
India, since playing their first official match 81 years ago in 1932, have never won more than two matches against Australia in the longer format of the game.
Jadeja again turned out to be the star performer for India, picking up the wickets of Henriques and Clarke before lunch - this was the fifth time in six outings that the Saurashtra player had taken the Australian skipper's wicket.
He then packed off the innings by claiming Starc's wicket Earlier, after night-watchman Lyon was caught behind off Ojha for the day's first wicket in the innings' 28th over, in walked Clarke, who demoted himself in the batting order due to a recurring sore back.
Clarke survived 49 balls for his 18 while hitting three boundaries, before Jadeja came back to get his bunny, caught at forward short-leg by Pujara who held on the catch after the Aussie got an inside edge onto his pads.
There was some confusion over his dismissal, but the umpire checked with the third umpire to clear his doubts.
In a deep hole at 119 for five and with their captain gone, a bad decision by Aleem Dar only added to Australia's woes.
Ravichandran Ashwin hit Hughes on the pads but the ball pitched outside leg and didn't straighten enough to hit the stumps.
Woefully out of form prior to this innings, Hughes dug in for 165 minutes before becoming a victim of a bad decision. He struck 11 fours and a six during his 147-ball 69 at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) Stadium.
Jadeja then pulled off a blinder of a catch to dismiss Henriques. After luring the batsman to go for it, Jadeja stretched full-length to his left to pull off a diving catch.
After being lofted over long-off for a six by Peter Siddle, Ojha had his man when he knocked over his off-stump to leave Australia stuttering at 143 for eight before lunch.
Brief scores
Australia 408 (Starc 99, Smith 92, Cowan 86, Warner 71, Ishant 3-72, Jadeja 3-77) and 223 (Hughes 69, Bhuvneshwar 3-31, Jadeja 3-35)
India 499 (Dhawan 187, Vijay 153, Kohli 67*, Siddle 5-71) and 136 for 4
Result India won by six wickets
MOM Shikhar Dhawan (India)
