Indians break Australian winning streak...

Australia's bid for a world record 17th consecutive Test win has come to a crashing halt, with India pulling off an action-packed 72-run victory in the third Test at the WACA Ground.

Entering day four precariously placed at 2-65, requiring 413 runs for victory, it was never going to be easy for Ricky Ponting and his charges.

Only once in Test history has a team successfully chased down a bigger fourth-innings total.

That was achieved against Australia at Antigua in 2003, when Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul cracked centuries to lead the West Indies to a match-winning total of 7-418.

And with India's pacemen exploiting a wearing wicket, Australia's unlikely bid for victory came unstuck, bowled out for 340 despite a brave knock of 81 from Michael Clarke and a free-wheeling ninth-wicket stand of 73 between Mitchell Johnson (50 not out) and Stuart Clark (32).

Ponting fell for 45 in the morning session but it was the middle session where India flexed its muscle, snaring 4-101 as Michael Hussey (46), Andrew Symonds (12), Adam Gilchrist (15) and Brett Lee (no score) succumbed under the intense pressure.

And despite Ishant Sharma's early dominance with the ball, it was a part-timer who brought Australia to its knees, with Virender Sehwag (2-24) snaring the wickets of Gilchrist and Lee shortly before tea.

All hope seemed to be lost when Clarke departed with Australia still needing 160 more runs for the win but, staring at defeat, Johnson and Clark kept the game alive with a spirited fight back.

It was a partnership smothered with luck, with Johnson put down twice and also bowled off a Kumble no-ball.

But it wasn't to be, with India crashing the party to inflict Australia's first Test defeat since 2005, when they lost the fourth Ashes Test against England at Trent Bridge.

In the end it was Australia's first innings total of 212, which left them with a 118-run first-innings deficit, that cost them victory on a wicket where patience was rewarded.

Resuming from their overnight score of 2-65, Australia moved to 2-117 before Ponting edged Sharma through to Rahul Dravid at first slip.

It was a scratchy innings from Ponting, who struggled to cope with Sharma's jagging deliveries and survived numerous lbw appeals before falling victim to the 19-year-old paceman.

Hussey and Clarke guided Australia to 3-142 at lunch, but when RP Singh trapped Hussey in front shortly after the break, the home side was in trouble at 4-159.

Symonds struck Kumble down the ground for six to notch 1000 Test runs but was back in the pavilion next ball when he was adjudged out lbw by umpire Billy Bowden despite replays showing an inside edge.

Clarke continued to battle on and notched his half-century with his seventh boundary as he combined with Gilchrist for a 50-run stand.

But just as the pair was looking comfortable, Kumble pulled a mastermind move when he called upon part-timer Sehwag to have a trundle.

And with just his third delivery, Sehwag unleashed a sharp-turning off-spinner that bowled Gilchrist around his legs, sparking wild celebrations from the Indians.

But the 29-year-old didn't stop there. Lee was the next to fall when he edged Sehwag onto his pads and VVS Laxman took a simple catch at silly mid-off, before Australia's late resistance gave the crowd of 16,495 plenty to cheer about.

The series moves to Adelaide next week for the fourth and final Test, with Australia leading 2-1.