Australia held their nerves to win the first ODI of the seven match series against India in Vadodara by four runs.

A sensational eighth wicket partnership between Harbhajan Singh and Praveen Kumar has gave India hope after the hosts had lost seven wickets.

The writing was on the wall for India when the last recognised batsman, Ravinder Jadeja was picked up by off-spinner Nathan Hauritz.

Skipper MS Dhoni fell to Shane Watson, trying to up the ante for India.

A double strike by Mitchell Johnson has all but the shut the doors on India in the first ODI of the series in Vadodara.

Johnson trapped Gautam Gambhir in front of the stumps for 68. Australia are in cruise control now.

Gautam Gambhir continued to battle hard for India, bringing up his 17th ODI fifty. It is turning out to be a good contest at the middle.

Virat Kohli perished to a sudden rush of blood against Adam Voges after stitching up a good partnership with Gambhir.

India lost openers Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar early in their chase of a stiff 293 to win the first ODI against Vadodara.

Brett Lee drew first blood for Australia, getting rid of the dangerous Sehwag while Shane Watson had Tendulkar caught by Ricky Ponting.

Captain Ricky Ponting led from the front as Australia’s top-order batsmen made a fine start to their seven-match series.

Ponting cracked a superb 74, opener Tim Paine made 50, Cameron White struck a steady half-century and Michael Hussey chipped in with a fluent 74 off just 55 deliveries as Australia finished with 292 for eight in the first one-day international against India at Vadodara.

India’s new-ball bowlers initially found assistance from the surface, and Ashish Nehra hit Shane Watson on the back pad with a ball that seamed in for an lbw verdict in the first over.

Ponting, however, steadied the ship - and together with Paine, he built a solid foundation for the visitors.

Paine twice edged short of the slips early on, and Ponting skied Ishant Sharma to third man - where Gautam Gambhir was slow to react.

The pair had added 97 for the second wicket when Paine was caught behind by Mahendra Singh Dhoni off Ishant.

Ponting fell shortly later, trapped in front by left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja, and the tempo fell as White and Hussey began the process of rebuilding.

White eventually fell in the first over after the batting powerplay was taken - and Australia seemed in danger of losing their way, with Adam Voges and James Hopes falling cheaply.

But Hussey superbly accelerated at the death clobbered Praveen Kumar for 18 runs in his final over.

Ishant sent down an excellent final over, claiming Hussey with the first ball and bowling Brett Lee with the last - and conceding only one run to keep Australia under 300.

Teams:

India: SR Tendulkar, V Sehwag, G Gambhir, SK Raina, MS Dhoni*†, V Kohli, RA Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, A Nehra, P Kumar, I Sharma.

Australia: SR Watson, TD Paine†, RT Ponting*, MEK Hussey, AC Voges, CL White, JR Hopes, MG Johnson, B Lee, NM Hauritz, PM Siddle.