• Scorecard: India vs Australia, 1st ODI

Heavy rain forced the abandonment of Sunday's opening tri-series limited-overs match between Australia and India at the Gabba in Brisbane.

The world champions were 51 for three from 7.2 overs in reply to India's 194 all out when the match was called off after the fourth and final rain break.

Australia had been set a revised total of 141 from 26 overs but were struggling just to survive as the ball starting zipping around on the wet pitch.

• Images: India vs Australia, 1st ODI

After putting on 33 in the first four overs, the Australians suddenly lost three wickets in nine balls before the rain became too heavy and the umpires called the match off.

Brett Lee [Images] had earlier ripped through India's batting lineup with his blistering pace as the tourists collapsed to be all out in the 45th over.

Gautam Gambhir [Images] topscored for India with 39 while captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni [Images] made 37 and spinner Harbhajan Singh [Images] chipped in with a valuable 27 between Lee's three explosive bursts.

Fresh from winning player of the series in the Tests, Lee took five for 27 from nine overs, including two wickets in his final over.

The express paceman captured the vital wicket of Sachin Tendulkar [Images] for 10 in his first spell when India's master batsman stepped on his own stumps after fending off a short-pitched ball.

He dismissed Rohit Sharma for 29 then debutant Manoj Tiwary for two with an inswinging yorker in his second spell as India crashed to 102-6 before the first rain break.

Play was initially stopped for 90 minutes but India's tailenders fought back with Dhoni and Harbhajan adding 42 for the eighth wicket before Lee dismissed them both in the final over.

Lee's 5-27 was his seventh five-wicket haul in one-day internationals and lifted his career tally to 285 wickets, the third highest by an Australian behind Glenn McGrath (380) and Shane Warne [Images] (291).

Australia lost Adam Gilchrist [Images] for 14 and his fellow opener James Hopes for 17 and skipper Ricky Ponting [Images] for a duck in their brief innings before the rain forced the abandonment.

India's next match is against Sri Lanka [Images] in Brisbane on Tuesday, while Australia play Sri Lanka in Sydney on Friday.