RESULT
3rd ODI (D/N), Melbourne, January 18, 2019, India tour of Australia
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(49.2/50 ov, T:231) 234/3

India won by 7 wickets (with 4 balls remaining)

Player Of The Match
6/42
yuzvendra-chahal
Player Of The Series
193 runs
ms-dhoni
New
IND
Full commentary

India win by seven wickets with four balls to spare and clinch the series 2-1. MS Dhoni does it again. He left it late but he and Kedar Jadhav panicked last and got it done with an unbeaten 121-run partnership to see India home.

Australia had their chances, but fluffed them. Dropped catches, run out chances missed.. these are traits that aren't usually associated with Australia. But such has been this tour. India have dominated across formats, have undoubtedly been the better team, and deservedly have been crowned winners.

If Cheteshwar Pujara silenced doubters about his ability outside the subcontinent in the Test series, MS Dhoni has done the same in the ODIs to those questioning his age and role in this young Indian outfit. No doubt after this performance that he has a place in this Indian ODI side.

Australia have some ominuos signs ahead of the World Cup. No doubt, they will shored up by the return of certain players by then, but their issues run a lot deeper.

Right then. Presentation time.

Yuzvendra Chahal is Man of the Match for his six wickets. "This is my first game in Australia, the wicket was turning a bit and I was enjoying my bowling. I was able to plan and bowl slow and vary my pace. Before he World Cup, we have a big series coming up in New Zealand and I'm looking forward to that."

Yum-es-Dhoni is Player of the Series. "It was a slow wicket, so it was difficult to hit whenever you wanted to. It was important to take it deep. No point going after the bowlers hwo are doing well, so that was the gameplan, of course supported brilliantly by Kedar, who plays unorthodox shots. Whether I play at 4 or 6, we need to see if the team balance can be retained. Important thing is for me to bat where the team needs, I'm happy to bat lower down at 6."

"We took it down to the wire, but when you give great players a couple of chances, it's always tough," says losing captain Aaron Finch. "The way the boys gave everything.. yes, we did put down chances, but they gave it their all. Their batting in the first couple of games was very good."

"It wasn't an easy wicket to bat on, so it was important to take the game deep," says Virat Kohli. "Two set batsmen there who knew what to do and they got the job done. Kuldeep had played a few games, so you don't want to make things too predictable. So we brought on Yuzvendra Chahal, and he played beautifully. We've been here a long time, it's been an amazing tour. We drew the T20 series, won the Test series and now the ODIs. If you had given me these results before the tour, I would have gladly taken it."

Alright then. That finally brings us to the end of this long, and engrossing tour of Australia. Easily India's best, and most successful tour ever, across formats. India have sent out some great teams in Australia in the past, produced great performances from great players, and pushed Australia. But never before have they dominated them in the manner they have on this tour. They had their stars in each of the three legs, but the team has pulled its weight together, and when that happens, you succeed more often than not.

Sterner tests await in New Zealand, where India play ODIs and T20Is. Australia will then be eager to fight back and set right this tour when they visit India for a limited-overs series. But before then, they will have to deal with Sri Lanka in a bunch of Tests.

We'll hope to see you around then. As always, your enthusiastic presence and participation makes our job of bringing the game to you live that much more fun. Hope you enjoyed our coverage - we certainly enjoyed bringing the action to you live. Thanks for all your time, comments and company. We'll see you around...

49.2
4
Stoinis to Jadhav, FOUR runs

chips this wide of mid on and away to the rope! Length ball on off and he chips it in the air and into the gap!

49.1
Stoinis to Jadhav, no run

yorker on off, he digs this out calmly

Stoinis on, 1 to win

end of over 4913 runs
IND: 230/3CRR: 4.69 RRR: 1.00
MS Dhoni87 (114b 6x4)
Kedar Jadhav57 (55b 6x4)
Peter Siddle 9-1-56-1
Marcus Stoinis 9-0-56-1
48.6
Siddle to Dhoni, no run

full yorker on middle, he digs it out to midwicket

48.5
4
Siddle to Dhoni, FOUR runs

driven straight of mid off! Dhoni times this chase to perfection! He got the ball he wanted and nails it straight of mid off who is in the circle and it flies to the boundary! The fans are ecstatic

48.5
1w
Siddle to Dhoni, 1 wide

full toss fired down the leg side again

48.4
3
Siddle to Jadhav, 3 runs

brilliant skill to slice a leg stump full toss up and over backward point, incredible hands to do it, he can't get it to the rope but they get three

48.3
Siddle to Jadhav, no run

he backs away walking down, Siddle fires in a perfect yorker, he just jams it out

48.2
4
Siddle to Jadhav, FOUR runs

114kph, slower ball outside off, he backs away given room and lofts this up and over cover with ease! Superb batting! No one back on the off side and Siddle missed his spot

Finch still only has four in the circle. Dhoni holds Siddle up after Finch ran back late at long off

48.1
1
Siddle to Dhoni, 1 run

full on leg stump, 134kph, he turns this down to fine leg with ease

Siddle again. The last three overs have taken 25 minutes

end of over 4813 runs
IND: 217/3CRR: 4.52 RRR: 7.00
Kedar Jadhav50 (52b 5x4)
MS Dhoni82 (111b 5x4)
Marcus Stoinis 9-0-56-1
Jhye Richardson 10-1-27-1

Dhoni and Jadhav get drinks run out to them. Kanth: "100 run partnership in a chase of 230 is amazing."

47.6
4
Stoinis to Jadhav, FOUR runs

slashed wide of backward point! 50 for Jadhav! Wide full toss, he walked down the track, Stoinis fired wide, he slashes this wide of backward point and it races to the rope. Third man can't cut it off

47.5
1
Stoinis to Dhoni, 1 run

on leg stump, he turns this through square leg

47.4
1lb
Stoinis to Jadhav, 1 leg bye

slower ball, hits him on the thigh, bounced into the off side

47.3
1
Stoinis to Dhoni, 1 run

slower ball, pulls this behind square for a single

47.2
4
Stoinis to Dhoni, FOUR runs

sweeps a slower ball full toss wide of fine leg!

47.1
2
Stoinis to Dhoni, 2 runs

dropped by Finch at mid off and Jadhav is nearly run out!! He lasered this at mid off at waist high and Finch moving left dropped it, it bounced away, and they pushed for two Jadhav came back, dives and just makes his ground as Stoinis breaks the stumps! The third umpire takes an eternity to check it but he just beat the throw with a dive. He was in by a frame! Incredible

end of over 476 runs
IND: 204/3CRR: 4.34 RRR: 9.00
MS Dhoni74 (107b 4x4)
Kedar Jadhav46 (50b 4x4)
Jhye Richardson 10-1-27-1
Peter Siddle 8-1-43-1

Richardson finishes with 1 for 27 from his 10 overs

46.6
1
Jhye Richardson to Dhoni, 1 run

119kph, shorter slower ball on leg, he pulls behind square to deep fine

46.5
1
Jhye Richardson to Jadhav, 1 run

he gets down on knee to a full ball outside off and slog sweeps in the air but it's short of Maxwell coming in from deep midwicket!

Third man back for Jadhav

46.4
1
Jhye Richardson to Dhoni, 1 run

short slower ball, he pulls around the corner to the circle behind square, Carey sprints from behind the stumps to cut off two

Third man up now. Fine leg back

46.3
1
Jhye Richardson to Jadhav, 1 run

140kph full toss outside off, he shuffles down and works this towards long on, they run the first hard but there's no two

Fine leg is up

46.2
1
Jhye Richardson to Dhoni, 1 run

135kph, short ball, he pulls powerfully along the ground but straight to deep square

46.1
1
Jhye Richardson to Jadhav, 1 run

he shapes to paddle sweep, Richardson fires in a 138kph, yorker, brilliantly bowled, Kedar just bunts this into the leg side

Richardson is back to bowled his last

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