if virat

Indore, Sep 24 (IANS) India skipper Virat Kohli equalled his previous incumbent Mahendra Singh Dhoni's run of nine consecutive wins after the series clinching five-wicket win over Australia in the third One-Day International (ODI) here on Sunday.

India rode on a superb batting performance to register an unassailable 3-0 lead in the ongoing five-match series against the reigning world champions.

After Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane gave the hosts a steady start, in-form all-rounder Hardik Pandya regaled the packed stands at the Holkar Stadium with some power-packed batting lower down the order.

The previous winning run under Dhoni stretched from February 2008 to January 2009.

India's current victory run started on July 6 this year with an eight-wicket win over West Indies in the fifth and last match of that series at Sabina Park. 

They took their fine form to Sri Lanka later that month where they humiliated the hosts with a 5-0 whitewash.

The men in blue had started that tour with a massive nine-wicket win at Dambulla. They won the second and third matches at Pallekele by three and six wickets respectively to rack up an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series.

The last two matches of the series were held in Colombo with the visitors winning by 168 runs and six wickets respectively.
 

Kohli has been prolific with the bat during this period with two centuries and an equal number of half-centuries.

The Delhi right-hander has had a highest score of 131 and missed out on a century in the last match at Kolkata when he was dismissed on 92.

Shikhar Dhawan has also been in fine form and got the highest score among Indian batsmen during this period with a 132-run knock in the first ODI against Sri Lanka.