SYDNEY (AP) Manish Pandey held his nerve for an unbeaten century as India beat Australia by six wickets in their series-ending one-day international to deny the home side a clean sweep on Saturday.
Pandey's 104 not out off 81 balls, including the winning runs, ensured India chased down 331, the highest target by any visiting team against Australia in Australia.
Playing his fourth ODI, he finished off what openers Rohit Sharma (99) and Shikhar Dhawan (78) set up.
Pandey got to his maiden ODI century in the last over as India reached 331-4 in 49.4 overs in reply to Australia's challenging 330-7, which was bolstered by David Warner (122) and Mitchell Marsh (102 not out) in the fifth and last ODI.
Pandey had captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni beside him for the last over, as the pair set about getting 13 runs required off the bowling of Mitchell Marsh.
Marsh started with a wide, then Dhoni smashed the first ball for a six. Though Dhoni was out slogging the next ball, Pandey kept his cool to get a four to third man, and then a couple over mid-off.
''I got to bat at No. 4 because Ajju (Ajinkya Rahane) was injured,'' Pandey said. ''I wanted to capitalize, especially on these wickets, with 300 scored in every match.''
Pandey added 97 runs for the third wicket with Rohit, who played second fiddle to Dhawan earlier in the day.
The left-handed Dhawan, who top-scored for India at Canberra with 126, continued in the same vein, smashing 78 off 56 deliveries with three sixes and seven fours.
Rohit, who struck centuries in the first two games of the series at Perth and Melbourne, was more restrained as India raced to 100 off 15.3 overs before John Hastings pegged India back.
Shaun Marsh took a superb catch near the point boundary to dismiss Dhawan, and Hastings had Virat Kohli edge one to wicketkeeper Matthew Wade in his next over as India slipped from 123-0 to 134-2.
Rohit, too, fell to Hastings as he was caught behind one short of a ton after being dropped on 93 by Shaun Marsh at deep cover off his brother Mitchell. But Pandey put the chase back on track.
Earlier, Warner and Mitchell Marsh added 118 runs for the fifth wicket after Australia, which came into the match with a 4-0 series lead, was 117-4 in the 22nd over.
Warner kept the runs flowing against both pace bowlers and spinners during his fifth ODI century. Then Marsh took charge with his maiden hundred, and inflated the total by adding 85 for the sixth wicket with Wade (36).
Warner, who missed out on a century in the previous game at Canberra where he scored 93, got to three figures with a couple to the third-man region off debutant seam bowler Jasprit Bumrah.
He was out caught by Ravindra Jadeja at backward point off Ishant Sharma, but only after putting Australia on its way to a big score.
''It's been a pretty big run-scoring feast,'' Australia captain Steve Smith said. ''I'm very proud of the way the players have played in this series. Tonight was a master-class in chasing. We missed a few opportunities in the field, but that happens in cricket. We have to move on and improve.''
