By virtue of Monday's dramatic victory in the fourth one-dayer, earned through as collective an effort as can be imagined, India beautifully set up the remainder of the seven-match Future Cup by cutting the deficit to 1-2.
It was a game that threw up extraordinarily good cricket, but what stood out most was the fact that not even the World champions are immune to the pressures of chasing down a big target.
Seemingly in command of what was always going to be a daunting run chase through the bludgeoning willow of Matthew Hayden and the intelligence of Andrew Symonds, Australia succumbed to the persistence of India's spinners in particular to crash to an eight-run defeat in a thriller at the Sector 16 stadium.
By virtue of Monday's dramatic victory in the fourth one-dayer, earned through as collective an effort as can be imagined, India beautifully set up the remainder of the seven-match Future Cup by cutting the deficit to 1-2.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni's desperation to win the toss manifested itself into great alacrity in saying 'we'll bat.' After a nervy, hesitant but more than acceptable start -- the old firm of Ganguly and Tendulkar remained unseparated for 20 overs -- India made capital of wickets in hand as well as the rare generosity in the shape of 31 wides from the Aussies. By stepping on the gas towards the business end, they pulled away to 291 for four in easily their most convincing batting display in this series.
Australia matched India's end with their own blazing start through Adam Gilchrist and mainly Hayden, who battered Zaheer Khan and Rudra Pratap Singh into desperation but not submission. But as they had done with the bat, India finished stronger with the ball too, pinning the visitors down to 283 for seven and denying them an eminently gettable 70 off the last ten overs with six wickets in hand.
Multiple heroes
Dhoni might have been named the man of the match for his bruising unbeaten 50, which was complemented by two crucial, brilliant stumpings. This wasn't just about the captain, though. India had multiple heroes, starting with Ganguly and Tendulkar, extending through Yuvraj Singh and Robin Uthappa, and culminating in spin twins Harbhajan Singh and Murali Kartik, with Irfan Pathan playing his part along the way.
Australia had the better of the early exchanges on a surface that initially played remarkably inconsistent in terms of bounce. Brett Lee bowled a memorable first spell to Tendulkar, who bore no resemblance to the little decimator of quality attacks other than in name, while Nathan Bracken obtained prodigious swing, keeping the becalmed Tendulkar and the attack-minded Ganguly in serious check.
Bulk of scoring
The first ten yielded just 34, Ganguly doing the bulk of the scoring. Then, the tide turned as the sun dried the track out. Without ever getting on top of the bowling, Tendulkar put mind over matter and allowed the rest of the batsmen to play their strokes around him.
An opening stand of 91 (120b) with old mate Ganguly was followed by a more enterprising 83 (96b) with Yuvraj, batting with rare fluency. A third successive stand of some magnitude was just beginning to take shape when, having hurt his knee, Tendulkar was run out with Dhoni having already hit his straps. The little fella won't remember this 79 (119b, 7x4) with any great fondness except for the fact that he didn't throw it away after taking 42 deliveries for his first 11 runs.
Having promoted himself, Dhoni clattered the bowling around and Uthappa provided the final push, putting on 47 with his skipper in just 27 deliveries as the last 25 overs produced 179.
Australia began like a house on fire, Hayden carrying his excellent form of the series into this game too and treating Zaheer and Rudra Pratap with casual disdain. The total dominator in a stand of 85 (79b) with Ponting, Hayden tailed off a little with Harbhajan and Pathan bowling superbly in tandem. It was Kartik, in his first game for the country in 20 months, that got rid of the big man, caught in the deep, and India sensed an opening.
There still was the little matter of getting past Symonds' defences. Generally a battering ram, the Queenslander held back as he paid the turning ball the respect it deserved. Just three fours and a six in 75 -- but off just 84 deliveries -- evidences intelligent caution. That intelligence deserted him when he unnecessarily backed away to cut Rudra Pratap, and India had got a foot in.
Brad Hogg was run out next ball, leaving the Aussies needing 24 off 18 deliveries. Kartik rounded off a great comeback with two off his final over, Rudra Pratap went for just six in the penultimate, and Zaheer conceded only Score board INDIA Ganguly c Gilchrist b Hopes 41
(59b, 6x4)
Tendulkar (run out) 79
(119b, 7x4)
Yuvraj c Ponting b Hopes 39
(55b, 5x4)
Dhoni (not out) 50
(35b, 5x4, 1x6)
Dravid b Bracken 13
(14b, 2x4)
Uthappa (not out) 30
(18b, 6x4)
Extras (B-1, LB-7, W-31) 39
Total (for 4 wkts, 50 overs) 291
Fall of wickets: 1-91 (Ganguly), 2-174 (Yuvraj), 3-221 (Tendulkar), 4-244 (Dravid).
Bowling: Lee 7-1-26-0 (w-7), Bracken 10-0-78-1 (w-6), Johnson 8-0-51-0 (w-3), Hopes 9-0-43-2 (w-1), Symonds 7-0-39-0 (w-8), Hogg 9-0-46-0 (w-6).
Scoring pattern: 5 overs: 13/0; 10: 34/0; 15: 68/0; 20: 91/1; 25: 112/1; 30: 134/1; 35: 172/1; 40: 202/2; 45: 235/3; end of innings: 291/4 in 50 overs.
Runs during: Power Play 1: 1-10 overs: 34/0; Power Play 2: 11-15 overs: 34/0; Power Play 3 (three men out): 20-24 overs: 21/1.
AUSTRALIA
Gilchrist c Zaheer b RP Singh 18
(17b, 1x4, 1x6)
Hayden c Zaheer b Kartik 92
(92b, 11x4, 2x6)
Ponting st Dhoni b Pathan 29
(33b, 5x4)
Clarke c & b Harbhajan 6
(15b, 1x4)
Symonds b RP Singh 75
(84b, 3x4, 1x6)
Hodge st Dhoni b Harbhajan 17
(29b, 1x4)
Hopes (not out) 23
(20b, 1x4)
Hogg (run out) 0
(1b)
Lee (not out) 5
(9b)
Extras (LB-5, W-13) 18
Total (for 7 wkts, 50 overs) 283
Fall of wickets: 1-37 (Gilchrist), 2-122 (Ponting), 3-132 (Clarke), 4-190 (Hayden), 5-246 (Hodge), 6-268 (Symonds), 7-268 (Hogg).
