India earn eight-run victory

India 291 for 4 (Tendulkar 79, Dhoni 50*) beat Australia 283 for 7 (Hayden 92, Symonds 75) by eight runs

India's bowlers fought back from a blistering opening by Matthew Hayden to snatch an eight-run victory and keep the seven-match series alive. Two of India's additions at Chandigarh, RP Singh and Murali Kartik, bowled superbly in the dying overs and Zaheer Khan held his nerve with a tight last over to secure the win.

Too much was left for James Hopes and Brett Lee, who had to find 22 runs from the last two overs and then 17 from Zaheer's final six balls. The turning point was when RP Singh bowled Andrew Symonds for 75 in the 47th over, and Singh followed up the very next ball by throwing down the stumps at the striker's end to run out Brad Hogg.

25 overs Australia 150 for 3 (Hayden 78*) need a further 142 runs to beat India 291 for 4 (Tendulkar 79, Dhoni 50*)

Matthew Hayden's third consecutive half-century put Australia in a strong position but India removed three of his partners to have Australia 150 for 3 after 25 overs. Hayden was on 78 with Andrew Symonds on 9 as Australia chased 292 for victory.

After a blistering start from Hayden India fought back with the important wickets of Michael Clarke, who prodded a return catch to Harbhajan Singh for 6, and Ricky Ponting (29). Ponting stood at the crease for a few seconds in apparent disbelief after he was stumped off Irfan Pathan.

Ponting planted his front foot well down the pitch, missed the ball outside off stump and dragged his back foot onto the crease. Mahendra Singh Dhoni whipped the bails off, appealed vociferously and although the replay left a small amount of doubt the third umpire decided Ponting had nothing behind the line.

Ponting had looked in good touch despite his recent lack of batting and his departure made Hayden's efforts even more crucial. Hayden muscled boundaries all around the ground in his usual manner, walking at the bowlers and hoisting several balls over the on side. The fast bowlers gave him too much width early and Hayden's best shots included a flick off his pads for four off RP Singh - it went along the ground all the way - and a classic Hayden clip over midwicket for six off Zaheer Khan.

For the second time in as many matches he survived a close run-out call because the ball bounced out of an Indian's hands before he broke the stumps. At Hyderabad, Zaheer's mistake only cost India 13 runs but the price for Dhoni's error when Hayden was 53 could yet be significant.

Adam Gilchrist helped to begin the assault with 18 from 17 balls. His most impressive moment came when he pulled a shortish RP Singh delivery for six over midwicket in the fourth over. He tried to replicate the shot in Singh's next over and found Zaheer Khan, who took a perfectly judged catch right on the boundary.

50 overs India 291 for 4 (Tendulkar 79, Dhoni 50*) v Australia

Sachin Tendulkar overcame an embarrassing start to anchor India's innings with 79 before Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Robin Uthappa launched a late attack that carried them to 291 for 4. Dhoni and Uthappa put the finishing touches on a solid team effort as India scored 89 in the final ten overs, including 20 from the last six balls.

For the first time this series India did not have the pressure of chasing a target and Dhoni and Uthappa enjoyed the freedom. Uthappa entered at the end of the 46th over - India might have been better off promoting him ahead of Rahul Dravid - and hammered 30 from 18 balls. He began the final-over carnage with two fours off Nathan Bracken before Dhoni finished with a six over long on - the first of the innings - from the last delivery.

That shot took Dhoni to 50 from 35 balls after he added some much-needed sparkle by bumping himself up to No. 4. He immediately had an impact, timing his drives impeccably and building on the platform that had been set by Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Yuvraj Singh (39).

Tendulkar looked a chance for his 42nd ODI century when a sharp piece of thinking from Lee ended his innings on 79. Tendulkar tried to paddle a straight Hopes delivery to fine leg - he had earned a boundary with a similar shot two overs earlier - and missed and a huge lbw shout ensued. Perhaps to distract the umpire's attention, Tendulkar took off for a leg bye that was never there and Lee at short fine leg fired the ball into the striker's stumps. The throw was so unexpected that it nearly hit the still appealing Adam Gilchrist, but Tendulkar was caught well short.

Tendulkar gradually worked himself into form after initially looking like a tailender as Bracken almost had him lbw first ball and Lee beat him a number of times with fast outswingers. He faced 17 consecutive dot balls in the early stages and had three lucky breaks, including two close lbw shouts and a possible inside edge to Gilchrist off Lee that was turned down by the umpire.

The fast men found genuine speed and prodigious swing, troubling both openers without sending either back to the dressing-room. Ganguly struggled but was less inclined than Tendulkar to let the bowlers dictate terms, advancing to Bracken a couple of times and striking him over the infield. Ganguly saw off the new-ball threat but edged a wild slash off Hopes to Gilchrist, who took the sharp chance standing up to the stumps.

The hosts were helped by a lacklustre Australian bowling effort through the middle and final overs as they conceded 31 wides. The venom in the attack disappeared with the swing, and the slow contributions from Brad Hogg and Andrew Symonds never looked dangerous while they went at around five an over.

Dhoni's decision to bat first on a bright day at Chandigarh looked justified after the initial problems, and their attack has added variety with the inclusion of Murali Kartik and RP Singh.