Four rain delays that totalled three hours and 40 minutes caused havoc as India stuttered to 9-136 off 26 overs in front of 42,423 fans at Optus Stadium on Sunday.Â
Under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method, Australia required just 131 for victory from 26 overs, with Mitch Marsh (46no off 52 balls) and Josh Philippe (37 off 29) ensuring the hosts made light work of it.
Marsh struck three sixes and two fours as Australia reached the victory target in 21.1 overs, giving them a 1-0 lead in the three-match series and snapping India's eight-match winning streak in ODIs.
Debutant Matt Renshaw got in on the fun late with an unbeaten 21 off 24 balls, including the winning single.
The win marked Australia's first ODI victory at Optus Stadium following previous losses to England, South Africa and Pakistan.
"We were 0-3 here, so we're away," Marsh said.
"It's nice as a team to get that hoodoo off our back."
Both captains wanted to bowl first under the overcast conditions, and it was Marsh who had the coin toss go his way.
Rohit Sharma (8) was the first to fall when he was caught at second slip off the bowling of Josh Hazlewood (2-20 off seven overs).
Indian fans erupted when 'King' Kohli strolled out to the crease, but the veteran superstar lasted just eight balls before striking Mitch Starc (1-22) to a diving Cooper Connolly at gully.
It was in stark contrast to Kohli's most recent appearance in Perth 11 months ago, when he struck an unbeaten century in India's crushing 295-run Test victory.
Alarm bells were ringing at 3-25 when Shubman Gill (10) was caught behind after tickling Nathan Ellis's first delivery down the leg side.
A 12-minute rain break gave India a short respite, before players were forced off again - this time for more than two hours - with the score 3-37.
Shreyas Iyer struck Hazlewood for four upon the resumption, but he was out a short time later when he gloved the Aussie paceman down the leg side for Josh Philippe to take another diving catch, reducing India to 4-45.
Handy runs from KL Rahul (38 off 31 balls), Axar Patel (31 off 38 balls) and debutant Nitish Reddy (19no off 11 balls) finally got the scoreboard ticking, but it wasn't nearly enough to set a competitive total.
"It's never easy when you lose three wickets in the powerplay, you're always trying to play a catch up game," Gill said.
Renshaw took three catches, while fellow debutant Mitch Owen snared 2-20.
Travis Head and Matt Short both fell for eight as Australia slipped to 2-44 in their run chase, but a 55-run partnership between Marsh and Philippe ensured there would be no major dramas.
Marsh cramped late in his innings, quipping to the umpire: "It's either cramp or I've done both of my calves."
Game two will be held in Adelaide on Thursday, with game three in Sydney on Saturday, followed by a five-match T20 series.
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