Australian have claimed the Border-Gavaskar series through a dominant performance in the third Test in Perth, beating India by an innings and 37-runs at the WACA Ground on Sunday.
India were on the ropes at lunch on Sunday at 6-165 in their second innings, needing a further 44 runs to make Australia bat again.
But things went from bad to worse as Ben Hilfenhaus produced a remarkable display in the third over after the break, all-but burying the Indian resistance as he claimed the wickets of Vinay Kumar (six), Zaheer Khan (duck) and Ishant Sharma (duck).
The Tasmanian paceman, who finished the innings with 4-54 and 8-97 for the match, was on a hat-trick when Sharma strode to the crease.
And even though, the young Indian bowler avoided that, he was out the very next ball as India's top scorer in both innings, youngster Virat Kohli looking on in horror from the other end.
But, with the end nigh, Peter Siddle (3-42) claimed Kohli for 75, his best Test score, with the second ball of his next over, handing Australia an unbeatable 3-0 lead in this series as India were bowled out for another poor total of 171.
In a memorable performance from the Australians, a four-pronged pace attack of Siddle and Hilfenhaus, along with the recalled Ryan Harris and Mitchell Starc ran through the Indians on the first day after Michael Clarke won a vital toss and elected to bowl.
Bowled out for 161 in little over two sessions, the Indians were always going to struggle to come back, but matters became exponentially worse for the embattled tourists as David Warner launched a brutal assault on their own four-man pace attack, clubbing the equal fourth-fastest century of all time off 69 balls on Friday.
Warner went on to make 180 off 159 deliveries and was on track to make one of the fastest double-centuries of all time when he attempted one slog too many off Ishant Sharma and was caught at long-on by Umesh Yadav.
Despite his obvious disappointment, Warner and opening partner Ed Cowan (74) still provided the bulk of Australia's score of 369 in their first innings, giving the hosts an initial 208-run advantage.
In dire straits, India needed a supreme batting effort from their ageing top order simply to make the Australians bat again.
But such an effort wasn't forthcoming on Saturday evening, remarkably just the second day of the Test, as India crumpled to 4-51 with Gautam Gambhir (14) Virender Sehwag (10), Sachin Tendulkar (eight) and VVS Laxman (duck) all surrendering their wickets in rapid succession.
Kohli and Rahul Dravid (47) stemmed the tide somewhat, taking the tourists to stumps on Saturday at 4-88 and through the first hour on Sunday through an 84-run fifth-wicket stand in some brutally hot and breathless conditions in Perth on the third day.
As the crowd looked for shade and a temporary St John’s ambulance station was operated out of a shady tunnel for those with dehydration, the Australian attack seemed to be almost wearing down as the batsmen somehow survived a series of play-and-misses.
But the drinks break seemed to refresh the Australian attack midway through the sessions, and two overs later Harris (1-33) earned the vital breakthrough, busting through the gate and bowling Dravid for the fifth time this series.
The dismissal means, the veteran 39-year-old now holds the unwanted record of being bowled the most times of any player in Test history, having lost his stumps 54 times, one more than former Australian captain Allan Border.
And, Indian skipper M.S. Dhoni's (two) miserable tour continued as he fell to a brilliant catch down low at second slip by Ricky Ponting off Siddle's bowling for two.
Kohli and Kumar survived until lunch but the Australians soon wrapped up the convincing win in just over seven sessions of Test cricket, leaving the Indians with plenty of soul-searching - and go-karting - to do before the fourth and final Test in Adelaide.
