David Warner hit a century as Australia beat India by 21 runs in Bangalore to avoided facing a whitewash in their one-day international series.
India had already taken the five-match series with victory in each of the first three encounters.
However, Warner’s well-crafted 124 – in what was his 100th one-day international – helped the tourists set a victory target of 335, which India looked capable of reaching after Rohit Sharma hit a rapid 65 of just 55 balls before Australia picked up late key wickets.
Australia, who won the toss and elected to bat, put on a 231-run stand before Warner was eventually caught by Hardik Pandya off Umesh Yadav.
India, chasing a record 10th successive ODI win, then had Aaron Finch out for 94 and soon sent Australia captain Steve Smith back to the pavilion for three after lasting just five balls.
India finished at 313 for eight, with Kane Richardson returning three wickets for 58 runs.
In a match which went right down to the wire, we look at the key talking points.
The Australian opening batsman was completing a century of ODIs for his country in Bengaluru and he made it an occasion to remember as he notched up his 14th one-day century in style off just 103 deliveries.
The left-hander became the first Australian to score a century on that important milestone and only the ninth in world cricket.
The 30-year-old tonked four sixes and 12 boundaries on the way to a 119-ball 124 as he, along with Finch, fired his side into a commanding position at the interval.
He would eventually depart when he miscued a skidder from Kedar Jadhav to long-on but not after playing one of the most fluent innings of the series.
100 in your 100th ODI match @davidwarner31. Super proud of all you achieve. Your girls love you! 👍🏽👊🏼😍 pic.twitter.com/hYJ874Pp7m
— Candice Warner (@CandyFalzon) September 28, 2017
The visitors have been on a horrendous run away from home in the 50-over format. Smith’s men last won an ODI away from home against Ireland in September 2016.
Since then they have been blanked 5-0 at South Africa and 2-0 by New Zealand before coming to India.
They were also winless in the ICC Champions Trophy earlier this summer and have been comprehensively beaten by India in the first three matches.
With questions arising over Smith’s captaincy in the limited-overs format, the visitors were under some pressure to get their act right at Bengaluru and duly delivered as they held their nerve in a tense finish to break their duck of 11 consecutive away losses.
The Aussie were blanked 5-0 by South Africa earlier.
The 26-year-old pacer has been tight with his lines and variations in the series so far despite Australia’s losses and he showed what he brings to the table in the visitor’s pace attack on Thursday.
The right-arm fast-bowler picked up three very crucial Indian wickets to dent India’s chase of a mammoth score.
Rahane and Sharma had given the hosts a flying start in their reply as they both brought up their half-centuries in a 100 plus opening stand.
Richardson provided Australia the vital breakthrough when Rahane charged down the wicket to his good length delivery only to skew a sitter to Finch at long-on.
After an initial wobble when India lost three wickets in quick succession, Jadhav and Pandya had stabilized the innings. The former was well set on 67 when Richardson returned at the death to once again provide the breakthrough.
The pacer had Jadhav deceived with a slower ball which the Indian batsman could only miscue to long-off. Richardson then all but ended India’s resistance when he had MS Dhoni chopping on another slower-delivery on to this stumps.
Kane Richardson 7 wkts @ 22.57 in this so far…#INDvAUS
— Jasveer Singh Kharra (@imjsk27) September 28, 2017
