Australia beat India to seal ODI series

ADELAIDE, Australia, Oct 23 (AFP): A composed 74 from Matt Short and a maiden half-century by Cooper Connolly steered Australia to a two-wicket win over India on Thursday, sealing the three-match one-day series with a game to go.

After India made 264-9 at a sold-out Adelaide Oval on the back of Rohit Sharma's 73, the hosts reached their target with 22 balls remaining.

Short, who was twice dropped, led the charge before Connolly (61 not out) and Mitch Owen (36) finished the job.

Australia won a rain-affected opening game in Perth by seven wickets, with the dead-rubber clash in Sydney on Saturday.

"It's awesome and rapt to have won the series," said Australia skipper Mitch Marsh, who won the toss and sent India in.

"(Josh) Hazlewood was unbelievable, the whole bowling unit kept trying to pick up wickets and awesome batting. We'll certainly enjoy the series win."

The hosts made a tentative start to the chase with Marsh falling for 11 to Arshdeep Singh after swinging wildly.

Travis Head also departed softly, thick-edging Harshit Rana to Virat Kohli on 28.

Short was joined by Matt Renshaw and they got the scoreboard moving with quick singles, putting on 55.

But spin bamboozled Renshaw, bowled for 30 by Axar Patel, then Alex Carey, dismissed for nine by Washington Sundar attempting a sweep shot. Short kept his focus, making a third ODI half-century, before departing to Rana, caught on the ropes as he tried to up the tempo.