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Bollinger fifer takes Australia to series win over India

Guwahati, Nov 8 : Pacer Doug Bollinger wreaked havoc with a five-wicket haul to guide Australia to a comprehensive six-wicket win against India as the visitors took an unassailable 4-2 lead in the seven-match ODI series here at Jawaharlal Nehru stadium today.

Bollinger returned with magnificent figures of five for 35 in his 10 overs, while Mitchell Johnson created the early inroads in the Indian top-order as the hosts were bundled out for a paltry 170 with two overs to spare.

Australia chased down the target in 41.5 overs with some gritty batting displays from opener Shane Watson (49), while Mike Hussey (33) and Adam Voges (23) remained unbeaten to take the visitors home.

For India, it was late contributions from Ravindra Jadeja (57) and an unbeaten half-century from Praveen Kumar (54 not out) that allowed the home team to give their bowlers something to bowl at.

Jadeja and Kumar put on a 74-run stand for the eighth wicket at a rapid pace in the later stages of the match as the top-order failed to justify captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni's decidion to bat first.

Never before the Indian team has lost a match at home within the first over the match as Mitchell Johnson and Doug Bollinger, using the helpful morning conditions, blasted out the home team sending back the top five batsmen with just 27 runs on the board.

Bollinger clinched the man of the match award and is in fact on course for the man of the series.

Towards the end of the Indian innings, heroics from Praveen Kumar (54) and Ravindra Jadeja (57), India averted the ignominy of being bowled below 100.

Every single Aussie batsmen milked the Indian attack which looked increasingly pedestrian as Dhoni used as many as nine bowlers.

Watson top scored with 49 as the middle-order contributed evenly.

After the victory at Mohali where India was on course and at Hyderabad where India threw away the match, Ponting's men not only took home the series but laid the foundation for the future Australian team, especially for the upcoming 2011 World Cup.

For India it was only Jadeja who stood tall amidst the ruins and after the harakiri of Hyderabad which cost India the match, he was determined not to give away his wicket.

It was he who first added 51 runs with Dhoni(24) and then along with Kumar took the home team's score close to 150 runs.

It was once again Bollinger who sent back Jadeja with the first of his third spell.

Jadeja went for a pull and gave a simple catch to White at mid-on but it was an innings of grit as wickets fell all around him.

With morning dew doing the trick on a lively wicket, India was all at sea and the only stroke with some authority was the first scoring shot, a six over point by Sehwag.

The momentous first over from Mitchell Johnson on a helping pitch saw India on the back foot from the word go leaving an unanswered question why Dhoni chose to bat first.

After being hit for mighty six over the point by Sehwag (6), Johnson cleaned up Sehwag with a beautiful in swinger.

Two balls later it was Gautam Gambhir's turn to see his off stump uprooted.

Expecting an in-swinger, Gambhir tried to flick the ball but the delivery went straight and cleaned up his stumps.

There was more drama to follow even as the spectators hoped for another magic innings from Tendulkar (10) but Bollinger joined the party and removed the little master.

Bollinger held back a delivery to Tendulkar who gave a simple return catch to the bowler.

Johnson-Bollinger duo threatened to blast India out for its lowest ever total when in the next couple of overs, Yuvraj Singh (6) and Suresh Raina (0) were back in the hut.

Dhoni tried to stem the rot and was there at the crease for 77 balls for a painstaking 24. He was declared out leg before although, the replays showed that the Indian skipper was unlucky to be adjudged out.

Both teams now move to Mumbai to play the inconsequential seventh match of the series on Tuesday.