Kartik steers India to victory

Murali Kartik bagged six wickets before sharing a crucial unbeaten partnership with Zaheer Khan as India won the seventh and final one-day international against Australia after a nail-biting finish in Mumbai.

Set an eminently gettable 194 to win, India appeared to be dead and buried at 64 for six, before Robin Uthappa and Harbhajan Singh came together to share a stand of 65.

When Uthappa fell to Michael Clarke, India's last chance appeared to have gone, but Zaheer (31 not out) and Kartik (21no) produced an unbroken ninth-wicket stand of 52 to see the hosts home by two wickets.

Earlier, Kartik claimed his maiden five-wicket haul and only Ricky Ponting could pass 50 as Australia were bowled out for 193 in 41.3 overs.

Ponting constructed 57 from 78 balls as Brad Hodge (16) and Andrew Symonds (nought) became Kartik's first two victims. Harbhajan accounted for the Aussie skipper before Kartik (six for 27) ran through the lower-middle order, dismissing Brad Haddin (19) and James Hopes (22).

Brad Hogg and Brett Lee both departed without scoring before Mitchell Johnson added a stubborn 24 not out, including the only six of the innings.

India's reply seemed destined for failure as they struggled to cope with the swinging white ball. Sourav Ganguly and Dinesh Karthik both departed without scoring to the bowling of Johnson, before Lee bowled Sachin Tendulkar (21) off the inside edge.

But Zaheer and Kartik played some fine strokes as the total began to look more manageable.

The winning runs came as a Johnson delivery deflected off Kartik's foot for four, sending India to 195 for eight with four overs remaining.

The result was not enough to salvage anything from the series, which Australia claimed 4-2 after the first match was abandoned without a result.