Red-hot speedster Brett Lee felt Australia's pace attack claimed a moral victory over India last night after again messing with the minds of their young batsmen.
Both sides believed they were denied a strong shot at victory when a fourth and final rain break ended an enthralling Australian run-chase on a sodden Gabba.
The opening triangular series one-dayer was washed out with the home side 3-51 in the eighth over, chasing a rain-revised 141 from 26 overs after dismissing the tourists for 194 in 45 overs.
Lee was the stand-out performer, taking 5-27 to settle an old score against India at the Gabba four years after delivering his worst performance in one-day cricket.
Crediting new-found maturity and patience for his amazing success as the No.1 quick this summer, Lee indicated Australia inflicted more scars on India's young batsmen following Friday's Twenty20 rout.
"In their batting line-up they have some quality players," he said.
"To reduce them to a pretty low score on what was a decent wicket to bowl and bat, they would have taken away a few scars I think."
But Lee took nothing away from a late Indian fightback after Shanthakumaran Sreesanth and Ishant Sharma took 3-6 in nine deliveries as the white ball zipped all around the place following a lengthy rain break.
The carnage started when Adam Gilchrist walked following a glove down the leg-side, Sharma then clean bowled new opener James Hopes and Ricky Ponting edged Sreesanth to second slip.
"It could have been a different story if we were out there (batting) a little bit longer and Sreesanth (2-17) charging in," Lee said.
"If we lost another wicket or two we would have been on the back foot.
"As far as our bowling group goes we can definitely take a few positives out and a few ticks in the India box.
"It was a disappointing finish to the match.
"I think it would have been a great game, we would have had a real close finish I think.
"It was a no-win situation for everyone."
Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who surprised all and sundry by batting first in bowler-friendly conditions, believed it was the tourists who were most hard done by through the rain.
"I think the momentum was with us," he said.
"Our bowlers were getting it to swing, getting it in good areas and Sreesanth was, as usual, good with the ball."
The late transformation of the wicket made Dhoni's bold call to bat first appear inspired after it initially backfired when Lee ripped through his young batting line-up.
It was easily his best performance at the Gabba and made his worst ODI - when belted for 83 runs in 10 overs against India in Brisbane four years ago - a distant memory.
In eight previous one-dayers at the Gabba, Lee's mere six wickets at a poor 66 - three times more than his career average of 22 - was an ugly quirk on his bowling record.
But the player of the recent Test series quickly got into rhythm today and had India reeling at 2-26 in the seventh over when he snared the prize wicket of Sachin Tendulkar when he stood on his stumps (10).
Gautam Gambhir (39), riding his luck with edges into the cordon, and 20-year-old Rohit Sharma (29) bravely put the visitors back in the box seat with a freewheeling 65-run stand.
But Lee teamed with Mitchell Johnson (1-33) in his second spell to spark a pivotal 4-11 collapse in seven tight overs.
Lee had Sharma caught behind before sending fresh-faced debutant Manoj Tiwary packing by clean bowling him with a superb inswinging yorker.