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Sachin Tendulkar made 91 in India's 258 for nine after winning the toss and batting, following his match-winning 117 not out in the first game at Sydney.
Praveen Kumar claimed four for 46, including the wickets of Adam Gilchrist (2) and Ricky Ponting (1) to have Australia reeling on eight for two, before the world champions took it down to the last over.
Irfan Pathan sealed the nine-run win, removing Nathan Bracken (1) and ending James Hopes' defiant 63-run innings in the space of four balls as Australia were bowled out for 249 in 49.4 overs.
Earlier on, off-spinner Harbhajan Singh had run out Matthew Hayden (55), before trapping Andrew Symonds leg-before (42) to bring to an end an 89-run fourth-wicket stand.
Hopes hit a six in the penultimate over, leaving Australia needing 14 runs from six balls to level the series and force a third match in Adelaide, only for Pathan to hold his nerve, taking his first wickets of the finals series to spark Indian jubilation.
Gilchrist's last international match ended disappointingly after just three balls when he feathered Kumar to wicket-keeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Captain Ponting then mistimed a pull shot off the same bowler to mid-on two overs later to end his frustrating summer and have Australia reeling on eight for two.
Michael Clarke survived a confident appeal for lbw next ball, before Hayden was dropped by Dhoni diving in front of first slip after edging Sreesanth.
However, Kumar gained revenge when he bowled Clarke for 17 in the ninth over to have Australia in trouble at 32 for three.
Symonds and Hayden restored the innings with an 89-run partnership before both were dismissed in the space of just four deliveries.
Hayden was run out for 55 at the non-striker's end after a mix-up when Symonds prodded forward and looked to take a single.
Harbhajan trapped Symonds lbw and Australia slipped from 121 for three to 123 for five.
Mike Hussey (44) and Hopes put on 76 for the sixth wicket to lift the total to 199 in the 42nd over before Hussey got a feint under edge to Sreesanth and was caught behind.
"All credit has to go the Indians for the way they played over the last week, they deserve the trophy," said Ponting, who put down a difficult chance when Tendulkar was on seven.
Tendulkar shared a 94-run opening stand with Robin Uthappa (30) and a 54-run partnership for the third wicket with Yuvraj Singh, who returned to form with 38 from 33 balls.
But he was out nine runs short of what would have been a 43rd ODI century when Ponting held a diving catch at short mid-on off Clarke's bowling.
The Australian pacemen had difficulty containing the Indian top order on a pitch ideally suited to batting, with Ponting relying on part-timer Clarke for 10 overs, and he returned figures of three for 52.
Bracken hit back in his last two overs, removing Irfan Pathan (12) and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (36) in the 48th over and Praveen Kumar (7) in the last to finish with figures of three for 31.
SOURCE:ICC
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