Gilchrist fires Australia to win

Adam Gilchrist hits out on his way to an unbeaten 79 as MS Dhoni looks on © Getty Images

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Australia wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist turned in a consummate performance with bat and gloves to help see off India by nine wickets in the fifth one-day international at Vadodara.

Set just 149 to win, Australia got home in the 26th over thanks to Gilchrist's typically buccaneering 79 off 77 balls.

The tourists take a 3-1 lead in the seven-match series, meaning the best the ICC World Twenty20 champions can now hope for is a draw after the opening match was washed out.

The innings followed a fine showing in the field for Gilchrist, whose six catches, along with man of the match Mitchell Johnson’s maiden five-wicket ODI haul, ensured the hosts were bowled out for 148 inside 40 overs.

Only Sachin Tendulkar, who made 47 in his 400th ODI, showed any real resistance while a last-wicket stand of 41 between Zaheer Khan and RP Singh saved India from a truly embarrassing score.

Their innings started terribly when Sourav Ganguly was run out for nought.

Mitchell Johnson traps Robin Uthappa lbw, one of his five wickets © Getty Images

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Brett Lee trapped Rahul Dravid lbw next ball before Johnson dismissed Yuvraj Singh, Robin Uthappa and Mahendra Dhoni to leave the hosts rocking on 43 for five.

Tendulkar and Irfan Pathan (26) repaired some of the damage, but when Lee removed Tendulkar, the tail folded cheaply bar the last-wicket partnership.

Johnson induced outside edges from Pathan and Murali Karthik to register his best figures in one-day internationals, with five for 26.

Zaheer (28) and RP Singh (12 not out) added late resistance, keeping out the Australian attack for more than 10 overs before before the former edged Nathan Bracken through to Gilchrist for the wicket-keeper’s sixth dismissal of the day.

India’s total was the lowest ever at Vadodara batting first in an ODI with the previous worst was 244 for nine.

Australia replied in positive fashion, with Gilchrist continuing his fine day by showing some expansive strokes to accelerate his side towards their modest target.

There were 54 runs on the board before Matthew Hayden was bowled by RP Singh off an inside edge.

And any hope of a spectacular collapse soon vanished as captain Ricky Ponting produced an unbeaten, run-a-ball 39 to steer the tourists home, reaching 149 for one off just 25.5 overs.

Sachin Tendulkar trudges off after being dismissed by Brett Lee for 47 © Getty Images

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The sides now move on to Nagpur knowing anything but a win would mean a series defeat for the hosts.

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni conceded it had been a bad day all round for the hosts.

He said: “Not much went our way. Apart from winning the toss nothing went our way.

“We were short of runs - 225-230 would have been good to defend.

“Under the conditions they bowled superbly well. We need to forget it and we have to perform well in the coming two games."

Ponting agreed his side’s bowling performance was key to their win.

He said: “We had given plenty of extras in the last game and we tried to tidy up in this game and we contained the extras in this game.

“Everything we tried came off well, all the guys executed their plans well. Mitchell Johnson was outstanding. He is pretty happy.

“Gilly (Gilchrist) and Matt (Hayden) also got us off to a good start.

“He (Gilchrist) is capable of doing anything on his day and hopefully that can continue throughout the tour. We want to win every game on the tour.”