I HAVE TO FINISH IT MYSELF! Master India batsman Sachin Tendulkar looks out over his teammates as he enters the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium ground in Guwahati yesterday for a practice session, ahead of today's crucial sixth ODI against Australia. Photo: AFP

Three days ago it was being asked whether Australia would be able to make this series a contest after losing Moises Henriques to injury, the latest in a long line of losses. The squad had already lost Brett Lee (elbow), James Hopes (hamstring), Tim Paine (finger) and Peter Siddle (side strain), and was without first-choice players Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin, Nathan Bracken and Callum Ferguson when the series began. Now they are one game away from an unassailable 4-2 lead after stealing a thriller in Hyderabad on Thursday.

"When you take all those things into consideration, the way we are continuing to improve our cricket is fantastic," said Ricky Ponting after that game. The assertion is difficult to disprove. In Mohali, Australia made 250 and bowled and fielded better than India to level it 2-2. In Hyderabad, on Thursday, they inflicted a painful three-run loss on India who, lifted by Sachin Tendulkar's 45th ODI century, threatened to chase down 351. They may be depleted, but Australia's bowlers and fielders have put pressure on the Indian batsmen -- like Adam Voges's stunning take to send back MS Dhoni -- resulting in six run-outs and dismissals at crucial junctures.

For a the side that was ousted from the top spot after the series loss to South Africa earlier this year, Australia stormed back via a 6-1 win over England and the Champions Trophy title. Undoubtedly the prospect of taking home a third trophy will spur them on. The sixth ODI at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Guwahati today could decide the series and while it's hard to predict a winner, the high of two straight wins may just tilt the balance against the hosts.

Two losses have turned the series around and put India under pressure. The home side's win in Nagpur was a comprehensive rout -- the batsman piled it on and the bowlers put the stranglehold on the Australian top order and kept up the pressure, the fielders backing them up. In Delhi Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh made easy work of the modest target of 230 on a tough track, often making the visitors appear complacent.

This is a similar situation to the one India found themselves in during the seven-match series in England in 2007. They were 3-1 but managed to claw back to 3-3, only to lose the decider.

Knowing Dhoni's captaincy they won't be thinking about Wednesday's game in Mumbai, but India know they're up against it here. India have not lost a bilateral series since the last time Australia toured in 2007. Since 2006, they've lost just two bilateral series out of 14. That is an outstanding record and improving that against the No. 1 side is a massive incentive.

India only once won a bilateral series against Australia, having gone winless since 1986. Today presents an opportunity to reverse that trend.



TEAMS
INDIA (probable): Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni (captain), Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Praveen Kumar, Munaf Patel or Sudeep Tyagi, Ashish Nehra.

AUSTRALIA (probable): Shane Watson, Shaun Marsh, Ricky Ponting (captain), Michael Hussey, Cameron White, Adam Voges, Graham Manou, Andrew McDonald or Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Hauritz, Clint McKay, Doug Bollinger.