India beat Australia by 5 wickets to clinch ODI series

All-rounder Hardik Pandya rose to the occasion yet again with a fluent 78-run knock as India registered a comfortable five-wicket win over Australia in the third ODI to grab the number one spot, on Sunday.

Chasing 294 for a win, India overhauled the target with 13 balls to spare in front of a packed Holkar stadium to take a series-clinching 3-0 lead.

Openers Rohit Sharma (71) and Ajikya Rahane (70) set the platform for the win with their 139-run partnership while Pandya steered the side to victory with his crucial knock, which came off 72 balls.

Australia opener Aaron Finch’s fluent century came to a nought due to self-destructive batting by Australia in the last 10 overs.

Finch, playing his first game of the series, had placed Australia at a commanding 232 for two in 40 overs with his 124-run innings but they lost the plot after that.

When they could have gone for a kill and a score in the vicinity of 350, all Australia could manage was just 59 runs and lost four wickets to settle for 293 for six.