Andrew Symonds looked to have delivered the knockout blow before Australia finally put down a stubborn India with a pulsating 18-run win to wrap up their one-day series in Nagpur.

The all-rounder plundered an unbeaten 107 off 88 balls just days after being racially abused by spectators before the Indian reply unravelled at the hands of spinner Brad Hogg (4-49 off 10 overs).

Symonds had been itching for a scrap since landing in India and the home side provided plenty of fight before eventually falling short at the same venue that Australia sealed their drought-breaking Test series win in 2004.

The Queenslander showed he is not a man to be messed by brushing aside the fallout from the monkey noises directed at him during Thursday's match in Vadodara to continue his heavy scoring in this series.

He was animated in his celebrations after bringing up his sixth one-day international century, jumping in the air and running towards the Australian dressing room to wave his bat towards his teammates.

The big man has been in the thick of the action during the ill-tempered series and his chief tormentor Shantha Sreesanth grassed him on two, the slip-up proving costly for the home side.

In reply, Sachin Tendulkar (72 off 72 balls) and Sourav Ganguly handed the hosts the perfect start by putting on 140 for the first wicket from the opening 25 overs.

The Australians have regularly made early inroads into India's top order this series but the openers enjoyed the little assistance on offer to the pacemen in the afternoon.

All-rounder James Hopes recovered from being mauled in his opening over to make the breakthrough with Gilchrist's leg-side stumping of the Little Master.

But Australian captain Ricky Ponting was in a bad mood soon after when the ball was changed before the start of the 27th over, the replacement balls tending to be harder and coming off the bat better.

The captain was not impressed with the decision by the umpires and showed his displeasure with officials by putting his arms in the air toward where the match officials were sitting.

His teammates also became hot and bothered, Symonds (0-39 off 10 overs) exchanging words with Irfan Pathan in the 32nd over after the all-rounder hit him for six as India continued to comfortably negotiate the run chase.

Umpire Aleem Dar came over to cool down the pair at the end of the over with Ponting stepping in as peacekeeper by pulling Pathan aside and walking him away for the drinks interval.

Pathan fell in the next over, failing to control a cut shot and a tired Ganguly (86 from 111 balls) departed soon after when Brad Hodge took a well-judged catch in the deep for Hogg's second scalp.

The left-arm wrist spinner then prized open the Indian batting order by trapping Yuvraj Singh (6) in front with a full toss and then ended Rahul Dravid's sluggish innings

The chase seemed to be petering out before Mahendra Dhoni re-ignited the match by hitting Brett Lee into the third level of the stand beyond the long-on boundary.

Such was the ferocity of Dhoni's hitting that Michael Clarke pulled his hand out of the way of a return catch and was then hit for 17 in the 45th over.

The nerves started getting to the Australians with Brett Lee dropping a sitter off a paddle shot from the dangerous Uthappa.

Fortunately his opening bowling partner Mitchell Johnson could maintain his composure.

It came down to 28 runs needed off the last two overs but the run chase came unstuck with Hopes taking a fine diving catch to remove Uthappa to end the 72-run stand off 46 balls.

Dhoni fell in the same over and the gallant chase was over.

Brought to you by AAP © 2024 AAP