Glenn Maxwell missed out on a second one-day international hundred but his 96 was enough to help Australia beat India by three wickets and clinch the five-match series 3-0 with two to play.
Virat Kohli struck his first hundred against Australia in Australia – a run-a-ball 117 – and was part of century stands with Shikhar Dhawan (68) and Ajinkya Rahane (50) but India were restricted to 295 for six at the MCG.
John Hastings bagged a career-best four for 58 for Australia, who made life difficult for themselves with the bat after Shaun Marsh’s 62, and the hosts had to rely on Maxwell’s 83-ball show-stealer.
He came in with Australia in peril on 167 for four, and though he failed to clinch victory and his century at the same time with a 12th boundary shot, the win was achieved with seven deliveries to spare.
A must-win game for India – who had twice lost after batting first – began badly when Rohit Sharma fell in the fifth over for six, caught behind off Kane Richardson.
However, Kohli and Dhawan rectified that with their 119-run stand and after a slow start the duo reached their respective half-centuries in successive Maxwell deliveries.
Dhawan was gone soon after, bowled by Hastings when shuffling across, but Kohli motored on, smacking the first six of the match in the 36th over. Rahane got India past 200 with a maximum off Scott Boland.
Kohli’s sixth boundary hastened his 24th ODI century, while Rahane got to fifty in 54 balls but abandoned his calm to be out next ball to Hastings, a slog pull caught by a combination of Steve Smith and Maxwell at the boundary rope.
India’s fears of yet again wasting a strong foundation resurfaced when Kohli was caught out charging to Hastings and worsened when debutant Gurkeerat Singh Mann (eight) departed to James Faulkner. An old hand in Mahendra Singh Dhoni settled things, smacking two fours and two sixes for his 23 off nine before falling to Hastings.
Australia once again threatened to make an easy chase of it, despite the seventh-over departure of Aaron Finch (21), caught behind off Umesh Yadav.
The MCG roars to a @imVkohli century. His first ODI ton at this venue #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/nH3TRCdV5s
— BCCI (@BCCI) January 17, 2016Shaun Marsh was in his groove quickly during a 48-run opening stand, before he was joined by captain Smith for an additional 60. Spinner Ravindra Jadeja broke things up by having Smith caught at slip for 41, and as Shaun Marsh took little notice to reach his fifty in 53 balls, the left-arm bowler returned to have George Bailey stumped for 23.
Things looked up for the visitors when Ishant Sharma had Shaun Marsh caught behind, Australia stumbling to 167 for four in 30 overs. While Maxwell kept the required rate in some control, a good throw by Yadav from the deep saw Mitchell Marsh (17) run out.
A thrilling run-chase was developing with Australia needing 92 off 89. Maxwell held his nerve for a vital half-century, this after Matthew Wade lost his cool to sky a catch off Sharma.
Maxwell used all his shots to keep Australia in the hunt – alongside James Faulkner’s helping of 21 off 25 – and eventually led the way to victory, though the all-rounder was caught off Yadav trying to secure the final team run and his personal landmark.
