INDIA won the first final at SYDNEY

CB Series: Indians take useful 1-0 lead in the best-of-three finals series

Sydney: Star batsman Sachin Tendulkar scored his 42nd ODI century to lead India to a comfortable six-wicket win over Australia in the first tri-series final Sunday.

Man-of-the-match Tendulkar's unbeaten 117 was his first one-day hundred in 39 matches in Australia. ''I'm not sure why it took so long, but the timing was right tonight,'' Tendulkar said after the visitors scored 242-4 in reply to Australia's 239-8, reaching the target with 25 balls to spare.

It was India's first one-day win over Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 12 matches.

Rohit Sharma added 66 runs for India, which will take its 1-0 lead into the second match Tuesday at the Gabba in Brisbane. A third match, if necessary, is scheduled for Friday in Adelaide. Tendulkar and 20-year-old Sharma put on a 123-run fourth-wicket stand.

''We were probably 30 to 40 runs short of what we needed,'' said Australia captain Ricky Ponting. ''We had a couple of close shaves with Sachin early on, but then he got into his groove and played a super innings.'' Earlier, India spinner Harbhajan Singh took the vital wickets of his two antagonists _ Matthew Hayden and Andrew Symonds. Australia won the toss and slipped to 24-3 in the sixth over, before Hayden and Symonds revived the innings with a 100-run partnership in 103 balls.

Symonds (31) was caught at deep midwicket, prompting Harbhajan to set off on one of his trademark gallops around the field to send off Symonds, who accused the Indian of making racist remarks during the second test in Sydney last month. The Indian offspinner then claimed Hayden (82), who was batting well and looked set for a century, when the Australian opener top-edged a sweep. Last week, Hayden was reprimanded for calling Harbhajan an ''obnoxious weed.''

Harbhajan (2-38) punched the air in delight, and then taunted the retreating Australian by staging an impromptu mock boxing match with teammate Yuvraj Singh. Hayden was a witness in the Symonds hearing against Harbhajan, which resulted in a three-test ban. The ban was later overturned on appeal _ after reports India would boycott the rest of the tour if it was upheld _ and Harbhajan was fined a portion of his match fee instead.

Praveen Kumar was the other star bowler for India on Sunday, getting opener and retiring wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist out for seven and Ponting for one when he bowled the Australian captain _ both major reasons for the poor Australian start. Michael Hussey scored 45 for Australia and fast bowler Brett Lee added 16 from 10 balls late in the innings.