Mahendra Singh Dhoni in action at the Gabba on Sunday. (Reuters)

Brisbane: Rain played spoilsport as the opening match of the cricket tri-series between India and Australia was abandoned here Sunday.

India batted poorly through rain interruption to be all out for 194 from their curtailed 45 overs and then their bowlers raised hopes as Australia lost three wickets on way to 51 from 7.2 overs before rain washed out the remainder of the match.

There remains a question mark over Yuvraj Singh’s availability for Tuesday’s ODI against Sri Lanka in Brisbane. Earlier it was said that the Team India vice-captain would be fit in time for the second match of the tri-series

Ishant Sharma and Sreesanth were breathing fire, managing lift and movement, which made Australia’s target of 141 runs from 26 overs off a revised Duckworth Lewis system not as straightforward as it looked at one time.

Australia were 33 for one from four overs when the first interruption occurred and the resumption lasted only 3.2 overs before the final heavy downpour came. Earlier India made a disappointing 194 from their 45 overs.

Both the teams got two points each from the abandoned tie.

Elected to bat, India’s late flourish in the final eight overs yielded 66 runs. Paceman Brett Lee with five for 27 was the main destroyer.

Sachin Tendulkar went too back to Lee and strode on to his stumps to have India reeling at 26 for two in the seventh over.

India were 128 for six from 36 overs when rain stopped their innings for close to an hour before it relented and the match was reduced to 45 overs a side.

Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who made 14 runs from 41 balls till the break, flourished thereafter to make 37 from 61 balls with one four. Dhoni shared two important stands of 45 runs with Irfan Pathan (21) for the seventh wicket and 42 runs with Harbhajan Singh (27) for the following wicket. Harbhajan, who was booed on arrival at the crease, struck a valiant 27 from 19 balls with three fours.

He took 15 runs in the final over from left-arm paceman Nathan Bracken.