Kartik was twice on a hat-trick as he ran through the Aussies

India edged a fluctuating final one-day international by two wickets in Mumbai, as the series ended 4-2 to Australia.

Murali Kartik took 6-27, the best ODI return by a left-arm spinner and three Australia batsmen fell first ball.

Ricky Ponting hit a 63rd one-day fifty as his team mustered 193 all out, but India were soon 8-2 inside four overs.

Robin Uthappa gave them hope with two sixes in a fluent 47, and an unbroken 52 stand between Zaheer Khan and Kartik led them home with four overs to spare.

Zaheer had earlier struck with the first delivery of the match, pitching one on middle stump and moving it in to trap Michael Clarke lbw bang in front.

Umpire Aleem Dar, at the start of his 100th one-day international, had no hesitation in sending Clarke to the pavilion for his second successive golden duck.

Zaheer and fellow left-armer RP Singh found considerable movement with the new ball, but struggled to control it, sending down 14 wides between them.

Ponting was the one batsman to look in touch, striking three fluent boundaries in one over from Singh and playing his customary array of attacking strokes.

Uthappa's bold approach revived the India innings

Although he had faced much less of the strike, in the seventh over Gilchrist had only two to his name when he was dropped by Uthappa at second slip off Zaheer.

The left-hander hit three fours in six balls but was well caught at third man when he skewed an extremely wide delivery from Irfan Pathan that barely pitched on the cut strip.

After Kartik had Brad Hodge caught at slip in his second over, he claimed the key wicket of Andrew Symonds next ball when the burly all-rounder slashed a long-hop low to Sachin Tendulkar at point.

Ponting succumbed to a wide one from Singh and edged behind in the 27th over, before a pivotal 32nd over of the innings from Kartik.

An arm ball accounted for Brad Haddin, and though Brad Hogg was unfortunate to be given out caught at short-leg when the ball hit nothing but his pad, there was no doubt next ball when Lee prodded to gully and was the eighth wicket to fall.

That left Australia with 10 minutes to negotiate to avoid having to field before the interval scheduled to take place between innings.

They managed that, and Mitchell Johnson hit a six and a four in three balls off Harbhajan Singh as the final two wickets added 31.

Under the full effect of the floodlights, Australia new ball pair Lee and Johnson found equally prodigious movement to trouble the India batsmen.

Tempers flared when Lee was convinced he had taken a late wicket

Sourav Ganguly wafted recklessly at one that moved away from him and Dinesh Karthik, replacing Rahul Dravid, who India insisted had been merely rested, also departed for a duck.

Tendulkar sent Johnson for sumptuous consecutive boundaries through the off-side but was twice fortunate with inside edges that flew inches past the stumps for runs.

Lee thought he had been the victim of another and was standing with his head in his hands unaware the leg bail had been dislodged.

When Dhoni feathered a thin edge attempting to force off the back foot it was 63-5 and sections of the ever fervent crowd began to disperse.

Uthappa played some thrilling shots, stepping down the wicket as James Hopes came in to bowl and launching him over mid-off for six, though initially it appeared to be merely a case of giving the India followers something to briefly cheer.

It's an achievement to beat India in India Andrew Symonds

But the runs continued as the Australia slow bowlers struggled with their accuracy, the 100 came up in the 27th over and the 50 partnership was recorded from 60 balls

With 65 needed from 18 overs, umpire Dar gave Uthappa out pushing well forward to left-arm slow bowler Clarke, and when Harbhajan was smartly caught by Ponting in a solitary wide slip position it was 143-8 and further sections of the crowd left the stadium.

Still India were not beaten and Zaheer and Kartik joined forces.

Lee was certain Kartik had feathered a catch to Gilchrist, something the India left-hander confirmed afterwards, but the keeper did not appeal and much to the chagrin of the paceman and his captain, umpire Dar said no.

Kartik drove a full toss to the boundary next ball and Zaheer flicked an irate Lee straight back over his head for six as the home side held on for an impressive win.

Man-of-the-series Symonds preferred to look at the bigger picture and said: "It's an achievement to beat India in India and we're very proud of that."