Indian big-hitting opener Rohit Sharma's staggering ton couldn't rescue the visitors from their Test woes that continued to haunt them in their Mid Carlton series opener against Australia, as the tourists won the second match of the tri-series by four wickets and an over to spare.
Sharma hit a splendid 138 off 139 deliveries, including nine fours and four sixes, to guide India to a respectable total of 267-8 in their allotted 50 overs.
Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and star batsman Virat Kohli failed to impress with their batting skills as they managed to add just 19 and nine runs respectively.
Suresh Raina (51 off 63) partnered with Sharma for a 126-run fourth wicket stand to steady the struggling Indian ship after the tourists won the toss and decided to bat first.
Mitchell Starc was the pick of the Australian bowlers as he claimed six wickets to decimate the Indian batting lineup that also included Sharma's wicket.
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Australian opener Aaron Finch played an impressive inning, knocking 96 runs off 127 balls that included five fours and two sixes, to anchor the hosts to a four-wicket win with an over to spare.
All-rounder Shane Watson and Steven Smith fell short of nine and three runs respectively to reach their half-centuries, posting 41 and 47 runs individually.
Australia looked on the verge of defeat at one point when they went from 216-3 to 248-6 in almost eight overs, adding just 32 runs for the loss of three crucial wickets.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Brad Haddin and all-rounder James Faulkner knocked the winning runs for Australia to clinch home the second win in the triangular series, the hosts having earlier defeated England.
Starc was the player-of-the-match for his impressive match figure of 6-43 in his allotted 10 overs.
