Melbourne (PTI): India relied on an outstanding display by their pacemen to script a hard-fought five-wicket win over world champions Australia in a low-scoring tri-series cricket one-dayer here on Sunday.
The lanky Ishant Sharma (4/38) produced a devastating spell of seam bowling and was well supported by fellow seamers S Sreesanth (3/31) and Irfan Pathan (2/26) to bundle out the mighty Australians for a paltry 159 in 43.1 overs.
The Indians then overcame some anxious moments before overhauling the home team's target with 25 balls to spare to record their first win the tri-series after their first two games were abandoned because of rain.
Sachin Tendulkar (44), young Rohit Sharma (39 not out), Gautam Gambhir (20) and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (17 not out) were the notable contributors for India in the low-scoring match on a difficult track at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
A wide from part-timer Andrew Symonds brought the winning moment for India who also recorded their first ODI win at the MCG after a long gap of 22 years.
The victory has boosted India to the top of the points table with 8 points from three matches while the Australians were just one point behind them on the table from three games. Sri Lanka were in the third position with just two points from two matches.
The Indians will now travel to Canberra to play their next match against Sri Lanka at the Manuka Oval on Tuesday.
India suffered the usual stutter in the middle of their innings when three wickets were gone for the addition of 13 runs before skipper Dhoni combined with Rohit Sharma for the sixth wicket to add the final 58 runs of the innings.
Gambhir, Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh (3) were packed to the dressing room as hosts Australia suddenly sensed a killing in a lost game.
Tendulkar had weathered the early storm and the loss of Virender Sehwag (11) and Irfan Pathan (18) wickets but things were still far from secured.
Surely, India's would have been a lost case if Tendulkar had been ruled out caught behind the wicket off Stuart Clark in the 11th over of the innings with the score reading 52 for one.
Tendulkar, then on 24, had dashed down the track to Clark and had clearly edged a catch behind the stumps but umpire Rudi Koertzen did not see it that way, much to the disappointment of Ricky Pontings men.
It kind of evened out the luck for the visitors as Virender Sehwag had earlier been ruled out leg before wicket to Nathan Bracken with their being doubt on the height of the ball.
Pathan, promoted to number three, departed in a similar fashion but not before he had seen off the new ball.
Tendulkar hit just three fours in his knock of 44 off 54 balls and all three hits were in Brett Lee's third over, including two thumping hits back past the bowler.
Lee had a hand in Tendulkars dismissal though as he leapt high in the air and plucked a difficult chance after the batsman had essayed an uppish drive off Mitchell Johnson.
Earlier, Ishant Sharma led the way as the Indian pacemen shot out the world champions for a shocking 159 to put themselves on track for recording their first win of the triangular.
No less remarkable was the wicketkeeping of skipper Dhoni who claimed five victims, including one stumping, despite putting one down in the closing stages.
Mike Hussey alone stood his ground in making an unbeaten 61 from 87 balls with three fours and shared a 53-run seventh wicket stand with Brett Lee (10).
Adam Gilchrist (0) departed in the very first over when he was ruled leg before wicket by umpire Rudi Koertzen off Sreesanth even though the batsman had edged the ball on to his pads.
Matthew Hayden (25) took the attack to the Indians with a breathtaking 25 off 20 balls before Sharma found the edge of his bat on way to the wicketkeeper Dhoni.
Sharma then bagged the man he has haunted all this summer. Ricky Ponting (9) was once again deceived by the angle of his delivery which came in and left the batsman at the last minute. Sachin Tendulkar at first slip had all the time in the world in accepting a low catch.
Sharma picked up his third wicket in his second spell from the other end. This time it was Symonds who was similarly startled by a rising delivery. Dhoni, diving in front of the first slip, took an outstanding catch.
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