India were bumped out of the tri-series after another batting failure sawthem crash with an 18-run defeat while chasing a modest target against Australiain the last league match today.
After the bowlers had done a creditable job once again to restrict the worldchampions to 213, the Indian batsmen failed to deliver once again and werebowled out for 195 with nearly seven overs going unutilised at the Kinrara Oval.
Brett Lee ripped through the Indian lineup to claim 5-38 while Stuart Clarkand Brad Hogg picked two wickets each and Glenn McGrath returned an economicalnone for 25 from his eight overs in an immaculate bowling performance by theAussies.
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Dinesh Mongia was the only Indian batsman to stand up to the task with a topscore of 63.
Suresh Raina showed a touch of class in his brief knock of 26 and MahendraSingh Dhoni might have been shade unlucky as Pakistani umpire Asad Rauf failedto spot the 'no ball' off which he was caught out.
Australia, having completed a splendid comeback win, will now take on theWest Indies in the final on Sunday.
India ended with just one win from four matches - although two of them werehit by rain - in the series.
The much talked about McGrath-Tendulkar confrontation did not materialise asLee snared the Mumbaikar who sliced at an away delivery to point.
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Tendulkar (4) had actually been declared caught off McGrath a few deliveriesearlier but umpire Mark Benson reversed his decision after television replaysshowed the 'catch' came off the batsman's shoulder.
Mongia, who played his last match more than 16 months ago against Pakistan inDelhi, carried his bat through the innings but failed to really take control ofproceedings even after being well set.
Dhoni might have been out off a no-ball but his shot selection still left alot to be desired.
The only bright, if brief, note of the Indian batting was the knock of SureshRaina who showed great maturity in tackling a world class attack.
His straight six off Andrew Symonds was stunning both for the bold executionand the power of the shot.
The Indian think-tank might also reconsider its batting order if given asecond chance.
Virender Sehwag was restored to his usual opener's slot after he struggled toscore at no. 4 in the previous matches and Rahul Dravid dropped down to four.
It made little sense to send Mohammad Kaif, who has been in and out of theteam, at one down and Mongia ahead of the in form Raina.
In the end, the team that had set a record for successful chases last year,failed to overhaul a low target.
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Earlier, electing to bat, the world champions failed to break the shacklesthrown around them by the tidy Indian bowlers and were eventually all out in48.1 overs.
The Aussies owed their total to a 77-run partnership between Brad Haddin andBrad Hogg who came together after the team had slipped to 117 for six in 32ndover.
Haddin was judged run out on one by umpire Asad Rauf but was recalled aftertelevision replays showed Harbhajan Singh, the bowler, had disturbed the stumpswith his hands while collecting the throw.
The wicketkeeper-batsman went on to make 46 from 63 balls, studded with foursixes and a four.
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Hogg made 38 to give the Australian innings some late thrust.
The top scorer for the Aussies was opener Matthew Hayden who made a fluent54.
The Aussie innings, however, was marred by three run outs, and could havebeen more if Harbhajan had not missed Haddin.
Ajit Agarkar (2-44) and Rudra Pratap Singh (2-43) were the best bowlers forIndia while Munaf Patel, Mongia and Harbhajan fetched one wicket each.
Hayden middled the ball well in his second successive match of the series.There were glimpses of the old belligerence when he strode out to the pacers andlofted them over the boundary.
But the huge left-hander was once again guilty of hesitant calling thatresulted in his own run out.
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Hayden called for a single after Damien Martyn pushed Harbhajan to off sidebut failed to make it home in time.
Only a few moments ago, the two batsmen were caught in a mix up and Martynescaped when Agarkar's direct hit and Tendulkar's back-up throw both failed tohit the stumps at the non-striker's end.
The Indians were brilliant in their ground fielding, Raina's diving catch tohis left at point to dismiss Simon Katich off Agarkar in the ninth over was astunner.
Haddin and Hogg showed that preserving wickets early and going for big hitsin the later stages was the way to go on the Kinrara wicket which had sloweddown with the rains staying away.
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Mongia failed to make an impact after a promising start with Haddincollecting three sixes off him.
The Punjab left-hander was included in place of S Sreesanth and Kaif came infor an unfit in the two changes made by India.
Australia saw the return of captain Ricky Ponting, McGrath, Katich and Martynwho had sat out the previous match.
PTI
