India's tailenders have saved their best performance for last in a rousing two-wicket victory over Australia at the soon-to-be-demolished Wankhede Stadium.

The home side looked in deep trouble at 6-64 in pursuit of 194 for victory before their tail wagged for the first time in the series.

Zaheer Khan (31no) and man of the match Murali Kartik (6-27 and 21no) put on 52 runs for the ninth wicket to pull off the escape act.

Australia claimed the series 4-2 with the opening match washed out in Bangalore but on Wednesday night the Indians took some of the shine off the touring side's dominant performance.

The dead rubber was overshadowed by more racial taunting of Andrew Symonds with fans making monkey noises and impersonations during his hostile one-ball stay at the crease.

Brad Hodge's (16) international stocks earlier continued to plummet after being one of Kartik's six victims as Australia were bowled out for 193 off 41.3 overs.

The left-arm off-spinner collected career-best figures as he mesmerised the Australians on the same ground that he skittled them in the final Test of the 2004 series.

Ponting (57) topscored as the visitors lost 8-76 following Hodge's dismissal as he was deceived in consecutive matches by Kartik's finger spin.

Symonds was handed a hostile reception by the Mumbai fans who have developed a reputation for the racial taunting of black players.

The allrounder has become public enemy No.1 on this tour, having firstly criticised the Indian team for carrying on during their celebrations following last month's Twenty20 world championship triumph in South Africa.

He became embroiled in a series of fiery exchanges with Shantha Sreesanth in the second game in Cochin and has pasted the Indian bowlers during the series.

In reply, the Australian pace attack enjoyed their favourable conditions for swing bowling with in-form paceman Mitchell Johnson (3-46) piercing the top order by dismissing Sourav Ganguly and Dinesh Karthick for ducks.

Sachin Tendulkar (21) looked the most likely candidate to pull his side out of the situation but Brett Lee was rewarded for his efforts with the little master's stumps just clipped by an inside edge.

Having arrived mid-series, Nathan Bracken (2-30) looked like he was just getting started as the seven-match at the end of the seven-game contest by accounting for dangermen Yuvraj Singh (15) and Mahendra Dhoni (5).

James Hopes' medium pacers claimed another victim and Irfan Pathan's departure left the home side reeling at 6-64 and members of the crowd headed for the exit.

However, those who stayed watched the enterprising Robin Uthappa (47) and Harbhajan Singh (19) put on a 65-run stand to thwart Australia's march before Uthappa fell trying to launch part-time spinner Michael Clarke.

Harhhajan became Johnson's third victim 14 runs later and the end again seemed nigh.

However, Khan and Kartik plugged away in different ways and rode their luck.

No batsman more than Kartik, who played and missed regularly and edged the ball in the air for four between wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist and wide first slip Ponting off Bracken's bowling with the finish line in sight.

The winning runs came from four leg byes off Kartik's foot.

Australia complete their tour of India with a one-off Twenty20 match at the Brabourne Stadium on Saturday.

Symonds was named man of the series at the post-match awards ceremony following the game but did not attend the post-match press conference following Wednesday's dramas.

Ponting said the behaviour of members of the crowd towards Symonds had been unacceptable.

"I believe there has been a bit of action taken from what I understand with a few members of the crowd being arrested and taken away from the ground," he said.

"That sort of stuff as we all know and all should understand is totally unacceptable at any place at any time, not only in sport but in society in general.

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