Guwahati: Australia clinch yet another ODI series in India. They have not lost a single ODI series in India since 1986. The start to this tour was not the best for the visitors with plenty of players missing out due to injury. To add to their woes, they started losing players after every match due to injury.
Also, they were 1-2 down at the end of the third match and India looked all over Australia at that stage with the visitors struggling to find replacements for their injured players. But, they have hung on and have managed to win the series maintaining nerves at crunch moments. Both the teams now head to Mumbai for the final ODI on Wednesday, 11th November, 2009, which is a day-nighter
Earlier, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni's decision to bat first back-fired after the top-order failed to negotiate the new ball and they lost seven wickets for just 75 runs by the 31st over at the Nehru Stadium.
But Jadeja and Praveen showed resilience and played contrasting knocks to give some respectability to the innings. Jadeja was calm and composed during his 103-ball innings, hitting six fours, while Praveen went into the attacking mode and smashed seven fours and a six during his 51-ball knock.
Left-arm fast bowler Doug Bollinger, who is having a good run in the series, wrecked the batting with his maiden five-wicket haul (5-35). Mitchell Jonhson, after missing the last match at Hyderabad, came back strongly with his three for 39 while Shane Watson got two for 27.
Despite being smashed by Virender Sehwag (6) for a six in his second delivery, Johnson rattled the stumps of both Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir in three deliveries in the first over.
India kept losing wickets at regular intervals and Sachin Tendulkar (10), Yuvraj Singh (6) and MS Dhoni (24) failed to play an innings that could have saved them the blushes in the must-win match to stay alive in the series.
Brief scores
India: 170 (Jadeja 57, Praveen 54*, Bollinger 5-35)
Australia: 172 for 4 (Watson 49, Hussey 35*)
Results: Australia won six wickets
MOM: Doug Bollinger (Australia)