MS Dhoni takes blame for India collapse

MS Dhoni shouldered the blame for India's spectacular collapse that denied them a consolation victory in the fourth one-day international against Australia on Wednesday.

Having lost the first three contests of the five-match series, India appeared set to earn a morale-boosting win after centuries from Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli steered the tourists to 277-1 at the Manuka Oval in reply to Australia's impressive 348-8.

However, the momentum switched dramatically in the hosts' favour as Dhawan and Kohli departed quickly either side of Dhoni's trudging back for a duck.

Those dismissals were part of a stunning collapse in which India lost nine wickets for a paltry 46 runs, as Australia clinched a dramatic 25-run victory.

And skipper Dhoni says the failure to see out the chase after Dhawan and Kohli had put India in a winning position lies with him.

"That's what my role is in the team; in that kind of position to make sure that we finish off the game well," Dhoni said.

"So I would say that my wicket was the real turning point. We lost quite a few there, but I think it was my wicket [that turned the match]. That's what pressure does to you."

Dhoni, though, is hopeful that the younger members of India's team will learn the mistakes from the defeat.

"A few of [the other batsmen] haven't played a lot of international cricket so at times it seems when you're batting in the middle that playing that big shot is the right thing to do," he added.

"But slowly and with more games under your belt you realise you have to carry on some kind of a partnership and once you get used to the wicket then you can play the big shot.

"Hopefully they'll learn out of this. This is the first few games they have played and it's maybe the first time in their careers that they were under that kind of pressure. So hopefully they're learning."