Australia bowlers celebrate a great start (Getty Images)

Click here for scorecard

Australia underlined their billing as World Cup favourites by ripping through India's top order and reducing them to 125 all out.

Only Sachin Tendulkar survived the onslaught to make 36 but the total was India's lowest in World Cup history.

Paceman Brett Lee began the carnage with a double breakthrough early on before Jason Gillespie and Glenn McGrath also got in on the act.

India were once again left pinning their hopes on Tendulkar, who alone defied the Aussie threat with an unbeaten 31.

India were in trouble from the sixth over when Lee had skipper Sourav Ganguly caught behind by Adam Gilchrist and then followed up to have Virender Sehwag removed in the same manner.

Rahul Dravid hoped to steady the ship but he offered little resistance before playing on to Gillespie for just one.

He was joined back in the pavilion almost immediately by his replacement at the crease Yuvraj Singh, who was trapped leg before by McGrath for a duck.

Mohammad Kaif lasted a little longer but he too was soon on his way as he mistimed a hook off Gillespie and was caught brilliantly at deep square leg by Andrew Symonds.

Australia maintained a difficult line throughout but Tendulkar remained solid to bring up the fifth with a single to cover off Symonds on the 107th ball of the innings.

Australia made a steady start to their reply with left-handers Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden guiding the score 29 to without loss after five overs.

Neither batsman saw the need to play their normal aggressive game with an asking rate of just 2.52 per over.

Yet nor were they particularly troubled India's new ball pair of Javagal Srinath and Zaheer Khan.

Both batsmen each hit one four with Gilchrist unbeaten on 12 and Hayden 13.