Melbourne, Nov. 9: The Australian media on Monday hailed their national cricket team for the ODI series win over "upstart rivals" India in their own backyard, saying the triumph had established that Ricky Ponting’s men were the undisputed kings of the limited overs game.

Australia took an unassailable 4-2 lead in the seven-match series after their six-wicket victory in Guwahati on Sunday, and the media here lauded Ricky Ponting’s men for the way they tamed India despite being ravaged by injury to some of their top players before and during the tour.

The series win also dashed India’s ambition of dethroning Australia from the top position in the International Cricket Council ODI rankings.

"Courageous Australia remain cricket’s one-day kings after crushing upstart rivals India in a ruthless show of strength," said a write-up in the Courier Mail.

"India’s bold ambition to send Ponting’s men home without the number one ranking proved hollow with Australia’s six-wicket victory sealing the series and one-day bragging rights," it said. Headlined ‘Jubilant Aussies take series over India’, the Herald Sun said the series win by Ponting’s men would be more devastating to the Indian psyche as it had come with a "virtual Australia A side".

"Dhoni’s side will be licking its wounds for a while after being bashed by a virtual Australia A side, short of frontline names but big on heart," it said.

The Age lauded Ponting’s men for keeping Australia’s 13-year undefeated ODI series run in India intact. "Australia will fly out this week with both the number one ranking and a 13-year unbeaten run in one-day series here intact." — PTI