India claims final tri-series title

Australia crash-tackled and shoulder-charged but it was India who tonight finally up-ended the world champions with a tri-series finals whitewash.

The jubilant Indians finished their controversial tour in triumph with a nail-biting nine-run win at the Gabba to send Australian vice-captain Adam Gilchrist into retirement in defeat.

A career-best 63 from James Hopes ensured the second final went down to the wire with the home side needing 13 off the last over but he fell from the third last ball.

Instead of a fitting one-day farewell for retiring wicketkeeper Gilchrist, it was controversial spinner Harbhajan Singh who laughed last and loudest, lapping up the triumph on the Gabba boundary in front of ecstatic expat fans.

Australia's loss saw them crashing out of the best-of-three finals series in straight sets for the second consecutive season as they never fully recovered from another top-order collapse in chasing India's 9-258.

Gilchrist lasted just three balls, walking for two after edging behind rookie Praveen Kumar in the first over, in his final international match.

Swing discovery Kumar (4-46) proved the destroyer, the man of the match reducing Australia to 3-32, before a fightback by fishing mates Matthew Hayden and Andrew Symonds.

But just when the Queenslanders had got back on level ground with an freewheeling 89-run stand, Harbhajan undid both within three balls.

Hayden (55 off 68) walked off giving Symonds a gobful after a mid-pitch mix-up which finished with Harbhajan running out the opener.

Two balls later, India celebrated like they had the series wrapped up when the spinner trapped Symonds (42 off 56) plumb leg before.

Symonds' innings included a rib-rattling shoulder charge of a streaker just after he came to the crease with his team in dire straits.

It's unclear whether the all-rounder, an avid rugby league fan, will find himself in hot water for the pole-axing.

Symonds could face a fine or ban if the International Cricket Council decides he breached section 4.2 of the code of conduct relating to physical assault of a rival player, official or a spectator.

The shoulder charge came hours after a frustrated Michael Clarke crash tackled the in-form Sachin Tendulkar when the opener inadvertently prevented him fielding a shot off his own bowling.

A second streaker invaded the ground when Mike Hussey and James Hopes were mounting a second rescue mission, entering the field from long-off behind Harbhajan who immediately complained to umpire Simon Taufel.
The distraction also got the better of Hussey (44 off 42) who edged behind Shantha Sreesanth that over to end their 76-run stand when 60 were needed off 48 balls.

Taufel referred the low catch to third umpire Bruce Oxenford who strangely appeared to view TV's snicko-meter technology before adjudging him out.

Looking to send the finals series to a decider in Adelaide, Hopes kept the home side in the hunt until he was the last wicket to fall.

India entered the match without lanky seamer Ishant Sharma (finger) but Kumar ensured he wasn't missed.

In what is likely to be the last triangular series, Australia's failure marks the first time in 23 years the host nation has been knocked out of back-to-back tournaments.

After winning the toss and batting, India were eying a 300-plus total with first-final hero Tendulkar (91 off 121 balls) in control at 2-175 in the 35th over.

But part-time spinner Clarke (3-52) was the surprise innings-turner for the world champions before Nathan Bracken (3-31) followed up to restrict India to 9-258.

The tourists slumped to 5-209 when Clarke took his third wicket and the momentum was lost.

Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (36 off 37) ensured his team surpassed 250 but couldn't deliver enough lusty late-innings blows with the tail as Hopes and Bracken kept it tight at the death.