Suresh Raina (49 not out) and Yuvraj Singh (15no) had to steer the visitors home, and the winning two runs from Raina came from the final delivery of the match.
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Chasing a target of 198, India were on course riding on half centuries by Rohit Sharma (52) and Virat Kohli (50) before Australia clawed their way back.
OUTSTANDING: Shane Watson’s score 124 off 71 balls (10 fours and 6 sixes) is the highest score by any skipper in T20I.
DROP CATCH! Kohli drops Watson at 56 in deep cover.
HUNDRED UP FOR INDIA: Rohit and Virat are taking India on the right track in chase of Australia’s 197 as the hosts complete their 100 runs in 10th over for the loss of one wicket.
Raina has swung Watson to backward square leg for a boundary to put pressure on Australia. While Jadeja proved economical, Yuvraj had Glenn Maxwell (3) caught at covers in the 10th over, as Australia were placed at 80/3 at the half-way mark in the innings.
FIFTY UP: India complete fifty on the first ball of the fifth over as Kohli hits Bolland for a four.
With Rajasthan suspended from the next two IPL seasons, Watson is sure to demand big money at the IPL auction on February 16.
Perry’s knock, which included four boundaries and three sixes, was instrumental in Australia reaching the respectable total, which eventually they were able to defend comprehensively.
The hosts didn’t get a good start as in-form Khawaja was dismissed for 14 with the right-hander edging a Nehra delivery to wicket-keeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the third over. He is also only the second Australian behind Aaron Finch and the first player ever to score a century in the shortest version of the game.
Australia made five changes to the side that lost the last match in Melbourne to concede an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series, handing debuts to batsman Usman Khawaja and part-time wicketkeeper Cameron Bancroft. Boland was tight before leaking 14 runs in his final over while Lyon was given just one over to bowl in which he was taken apart for 15 runs.
Cross-code star Perry has made her presence count with a valuable half-century to guide Australia to 5-136 in their women’s Twenty20 against India at the SCG on Sunday.
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Yuvraj came in to bat for the first time in the series, with Raina having already begun setting up the finish, and the equation soon boiled down to India needing 22 from the final two overs. He again survived when Dhoni missed a run out Watson was struggling to reach in time for a second.
