India vs Australia: MS Dhoni creates history, breaks 32-year-old record

MS Dhoni eased India to a seven-wicket victory to clinch their one-day international series against Australia in Melbourne on Friday.

It was a brilliant performance by MS Dhoni as he scored 87 off 114 balls to guide India to a historic series win over Australia in the third ODI encounter in Melbourne on Friday. It was his third consecutive fifty in the series and it came as no surprise that the veteran wicketkeeper-batsman received the Man of the Series award for his efforts.

MS Dhoni walks back to the pavilion during the third ODI match against Australia. (AFP)

At 37 years and 195 days, Dhoni became the oldest Indian cricketer to win the Man of the Series award. Earlier, the record belonged to Sunil Gavaskar who achieved the feat against Sri Lanka in 1987 at the age of 37 years and 191 days.

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It was also his seventh Man of the Series award in ODIs and as a result, he joined the likes of Virat Kohli, Sourav Ganguly, Yuvraj Singh, Hashim Amla, Viv Richards, and AB de Villiers. Among Indians, Dhoni is currently joint second with Kohli, Ganguly, and Yuvraj, while Sachin Tendulkar tops the list with 15 awards between 1989 and 2012.

Yuzvendra Chahal took a record 6-42 to propel India to a seven-wicket win over Australia in the third one-day cricket international and a 2-1 series win on Friday.

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India, who were set the target of 231 by Australia, made 234 for the loss of three wickets, with four balls remaining.

Dhoni scored an unbeaten 87 off 114 balls and was supported by Kedar Jadhav, who made 61 off 57 balls and remained not out.

(With agency inputs)