Doug Bollinger took 5-35 and Shane Watson hit 49 as Australia thrashed India by six wickets to win the sixth one-day international and the seven-match series 4-2 on Sunday.

Bollinger combined with fellow left-arm quick Mitchell Johnson (3-39) to bowl out India for 170 in 48 overs before Watson's run-a-ball knock guided the world champions to 172-4 with 8.1 overs to spare.

Harbhajan Singh picked up 2-23 but the injury-hit Aussies, missing nine of their regular one-day players, did well on a tricky wicket at the Nehru stadium to clinch the series ahead of the final game in Mumbai on Wednesday.

"It has perhaps been the most satisfying series win I have been involved in," said Ponting. "To get 11 players on the field has been a challenge in some of the games.

"Our fielding has been outstanding, in a couple of close games it has been the difference."

Watson smashed 10 fours and put on 61 runs for the second wicket with captain Ricky Ponting (25) after the early dismissal of Shaun Marsh, trapped leg before by paceman Munaf Patel.

Watson, who also chipped in with 2-27 in a fine all-round performance, fell in trying to slog sweep Harbhajan while Ponting inside-edged the off-spinner to be caught by Suresh Raina at leg-slip.

Cameron White added 25 and Michael Hussey struck 35 not out off 62 balls, the duo adding 53 runs for the fourth wicket to take the visitors home.

Ravindra Jadeja earlier top-scored for the home team with a fighting 57 off 103 balls with six fours for his second half-century from nine one-day internationals.

The left-handed batsman also put on 48 runs with captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (24) and another 74 with Praveen Kumar, who hit an unbeaten 51-ball 54 with seven fours and a six to lend respectability to India's total.

"I knew the first half-an-hour would be important but the first 15 minutes did all the damage today," said Dhoni.

"The Aussies did bowl well. There was swing there and they exploited it well. The way we lost in Mohali and Nagpur, as a team you don't want to lose like that. But full credit to Australia, they took the games away."

The Indians were off to a disastrous start after electing to bat with Johnson striking in the very first over to remove Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir in the space of two balls.

Sehwag's off-stump was pegged back by a sharp inswinging delivery from the new-ball bowler while Gambhir too lost his wicket in a similar fashion.

Bigger trouble was in store for India when Sachin Tendulkar, who struck a brilliant 175 off 141 balls in the fifth one-dayer at Hyderabad, was caught and bowled by Bollinger, named man of the match, for 10.

Yuvraj Singh (six) lost his wicket to the same bowler in a bizarre fashion, the left-hander playing the ball onto the stumps with his bat as he tried to hit it out of the way.

The Indians were reduced to a precarious 27-5 in the ninth over when Raina lobbed Johnson to mid-on but Jadeja and Kumar ensured India crossed the 100-run mark.

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AFP

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