India's sunday morning blues

Once the dust settles over this seven-match one-day series, only one question is likely to remain: How did the Australians pull this off? The visitors had lost four of their first XI even before the team travelled to India. Over the first four matches, they lost another four to various injuries.

They did win the first one-dayer by a close margin, but once India had steamrolled them in the next two, the battle between Dhoni's men in home conditions and Ponting's boys in disarray seemed extremely unequal.

And yet, at the end of the sixth one-dayer in Guwahati, they had taken a 4-2 series victory, after yet another commanding bowling performance and some composed batting in a tricky chase. Mitchell Johnson and Doug Bollinger ran through the Indian top-order, who recovered from 27 for five to post 170.

Shane Watson then ensured there were to be no slip-ups with a composed 49 that set up the chase nicely. At one point, they were reduced to 90 for three with captain Ricky Ponting back in the hut, but Michael Hussey and Cameron White ensured the series was sealed with 8.3 overs, and a game, to spare.

Australia won the match by six wickets, and the final match, to be played in Mumbai on Wednesday, has now become inconsequential.

Early swing

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won his second toss of the series, but very soon he would have wished he hadn't. Batting first, he admitted, was a risk as the ball was likely to do a bit early in the morning, adding that it was important to see off the first hour.

That didn't happen, though. Virender Sehwag hit a six over point off the second ball of the match, but a couple of deliveries later, Mitchell Johnson got an in-swinger to sneak through bat and pad. Off the final ball of the same over, Gautam Gambhir played down the wrong line against a ball that pitched on middle and shaped wickedly away to send the off-stump cartwheeling.

Australia, knowing that a win would seal the series and their No 1 spot, had smelt blood. Johnson, who had looked out of sorts in the series, was back at his best and in Doug Bollinger, he found a partner who was bent upon proving his worth in international cricket.

Bollinger accounted for the in-form Sachin Tendulkar, who was early into an attempted whip, while Yuvraj Singh fell to a freak dismissal � knocking the ball on to his stumps while trying to get back into the crease.

Johnson then set up Suresh Raina at the other end, a few short balls followed by a full delivery, which induced a mistimed drive from the left-hander. The crucial first hour had seen India reduced to 27 for 5 after nine overs. Game over; the series had been wrapped up.