Under-strength Australia ran headlong into Sachin Tendulkar in full flight and lived to tell the tale, claiming a three-run victory in an extraordinary fifth limited-overs match at Hyderabad.

Lacking four members of their first-choice bowling attack, the Australians were powerless to prevent Tendulkar from soaring to 175 (141 balls, 19 fours, four sixes), an epic innings that took India so close to reeling in their biggest target.
At one point they required 19 from 18 balls with four wickets in hand, but Tendulkar's exit at the hands of composed debutant Clint McKay (3-59) and Shane Watson (3-47) ushered a late collapse of 4-15 to end the innings at 347 and hand the tourists a 3-2 lead in the series with two to play.

In recent years 36-year-old Tendulkar had become more an accumulator than dasher but this performance rivalled the batting heights of his youth.

He lacked support until the arrival of Suresh Raina (59), who combined with the “little master'' for a stand of 137 that tore the Australians to shreds - they dearly missed Peter Siddle, Brett Lee, James Hopes and the rested Mitchell Johnson, and finished up needing every last run their batsmen added.

Openers Watson (93, 89 balls, nine fours, three sixes) and Shaun Marsh (112, 112 balls, eight fours, two sixes) stormed off the mark.

Together they added 145, a stand dominated by Watson before Marsh grew in confidence and fluency.

Captain Ricky Ponting (45), heavy-hitter Cameron White (57, 33 balls, five sixes) and Mike Hussey (31no, 22 balls) also contributed.

Marsh's maiden international century mirrored that of his father, Geoff, who also notched three figures for the first time against India, at Sydney in 1986.

Australia's 13 sixes were the most struck by any team against India.

A chase of more than 350 left precious little margin for error or dithering and, in the early overs, Virender Sehwag and Tendulkar were sharp.

They had 60 on the board inside eight overs and evidence the Australians were pressured came when Doug Bollinger turfed Sehwag at fine leg off Hilfenhaus.

Sehwag's impetuosity soon afforded Bollinger a second chance from the same bowler and he capitalised to send Sehwag back for 38.

Tendulkar had endured a quiet series to now, so much so that the Australians had been asked to discuss how they managed to keep him down.

But as another packed crowd roared approval, Tendulkar seemingly shed years off his frame and his game, carving up the bowlers like it was 1999, not 2009.

Notching his 17,000th limited-overs run early in the piece, he flew from 68 to 92 in the space of two overs, thrashing three sixes and a boundary from Watson and Nathan Hauritz.

Regular wickets were falling at the other end, McKay making his presence felt by snagging Gautam Gambhir then Dhoni, the latter to a superlative low catch at point by Adam Voges.

Raina survived a drop by first slip White before scoring, then stuck around, first to see Tendulkar to an 81-ball century, his 45th in one-day matches, then to take India to within a tantalising distance of the target.

Raina's exit to a fine tumbling catch by Graham Manou, running back, was followed by a duck for Harbhajan Singh, who feathered Watson to the 'keeper.

Ravindra Jadeja (23) appeared capable of taking India home, but Tendulkar's loss signalled a panic by the tail that saw the last four wickets evaporate.

AAP