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Dropped catches cost Australia: Smith

Despite a poor finish to his side's innings, Smith says fifth ODI loss was down to missed chances in the field

Australia captain Steve Smith has pointed to a late innings go slow and some dropped catches as the reasons for his side's loss in the fifth and final Victoria Bitter ODI Series match against India at the SCG.

Australia posted a daunting 7-330 from their 50 overs having been sent in to bat, propelled along by centuries to David Warner and Mitchell Marsh.

Quick Single: India avoid clean sweep in SCG thriller

But their mammoth total could have been a lot higher, with just seven runs coming from the last two overs.

The final stages would ultimately prove costly, with India chasing down their target with just two balls remaining. 

WATCH: Shaun Marsh puts down Rohit in the deep

But Smith said it was Australia's fielding that hurt them in the end, with Shaun Marsh and Nathan Lyon both spilling chances they would expect to take in the outfield.

"We probably should have done a little bit better than that (in the final overs)," Smith said.

"We were in a pretty good position, we had some wickets in the sheds as well so you probably want to score a few more in the last few overs.

"Having said that I think it was our fielding that cost us quite a lot tonight.

"We dropped a couple of quite regulation chances and when you're dropping players like that they're going to come back and bite you." 

WATCH: Lyon drops regulation catch in the deep

India captain MS Dhoni praised India's bowlers for the way they restricted Australia in the final two overs, which started with debutant Jasprit Bumrah delivering the perfect yorker to dismiss James Faulkner.

The right-armer delivered more accurate yorkers throughout the over and denied Marsh, on 99, his century by producing two dot balls to finish the over with just three runs conceded.

Ishant Sharma then relied mostly on changes of pace to restrict Marsh and John Hastings to just four more runs in the final over to complete an impressive end to the innings for the tourists.

While disappointed with the loss, Smith praised Marsh for his maiden international century after what has been a lean summer with the bat.

The allrounder's position in Australia's XI has been under scrutiny for most of the season and he's been unable to pass fifty during the international campaign. 

WATCH: Marsh hammers maiden international century

He has kept the wolves at bay with some strong performances with the ball and the weight was lifted off his shoulders on Saturday when he reached three figures for the first time in 44 international matches, a magnificent unbeaten innings of 102 from 84 balls with nine fours and two sixes.

Smith was confident that it was the first of many international centuries for the 24-year-old.

"I guess anytime you get a hundred you get some confidence out of it," the skipper said.

"I guess the most pleasing thing for me today was the way he started. I thought he came out and was nice and positive from ball one, he hit the ball hard down the ground, he hit his sweep shots, he got himself in.

"We know when he gets himself in he's got incredible power and we saw that tonight.

"Hopefully it's the start of something really special for Mitchell."