Matthew Wade's impressive half-century boosted his stock among the Australian selectors and ensured that India's losing streak on their tour down under was extended to five games.

Having lost all four Test matches - most by considerable margins - the tourists were defeated by a hefty 31 runs in the first Twenty20 international in Sydney on Wednesday, managing just 140 for six in pursuit of Australia's 171 for four.

In the same week that Wade was named in Australia's one-day squad for the first three games of the Commonwealth Bank Series, leading Brad Haddin to suggest that he had been dropped as much as he had been rested, the Victorian's clean hitting took Australia to a formidable total on a slow drop-in pitch as Stadium Australia hosted its first international cricket game.

Both sides fielded a trio of spinners, but it was Australia's who made the most of the purchase on offer as Xavier Doherty, Brad Hogg and David Hussey strangled the Indian batsmen.

By the time Mahendra Singh Dhoni got cranking, India were six wickets down needing more than 15 runs per over, and Australia refused to give an inch. Despite Dhoni's three sixes and a four, his unbeaten 48 still took 43 balls as he found twos and threes hard to come by, leaving his side well short.

Brett Lee had made the crucial early breakthrough, finding late movement to have Virender Sehwag caught at slip, and although Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli threatened with a 41-run partnership in five overs, that was as good as it got for India.

When Gambhir chipped Hussey tamely to cover, Kohli followed soon after when he top-edged Hogg to David Warner at long-on. Rohit Sharma was bowled first ball, and when Suresh Raina played on India were 72 for five and the game was gone.

While the spinners could take credit, India's batting showed just how well Wade had played earlier on after Dhoni had won the toss and stuck Australia in under cloudy and, at times, drizzly skies.

Wade, who was flawless behind the stumps, outshone his opening partner Warner, scoring a 43-ball 72 after Warner had perished for an exciting 25.

Warner's remarkable switch hit for six off the bowling of Ravichandran Ashwin set the Aussie innings in motion after a watchful start, but he was out in the next over when he skied a Vinay Kumar delivery to cover.

Wade took up the mantle, taking 16 off an over from Ravindra Jadeja to go to fifty in 34 balls, but a rain delay soon after stopped him in his stride as Australia were halted on 131 for two in the 15th over.

They would add just 40 runs from the remaining 32 deliveries when play resumed around 20 minutes later, losing Wade along the way when he was bowled by Raina.

Hussey did a decent job of finishing the innings though, striking three sixes in his 42 before he became Rahul Sharma's first international victim off the penultimate ball of the innings.