Shaoib Malik enjoyed an excellent match with bat and ball

Pakistan's spinners proved too much for India as they began the triangular one-day tournament in Amsterdam with a 66-run victory.

Shoaib Malik top scored with 66 as they made 192-6 from 33 overs after rain delayed the start for four hours.

He then claimed 3-18 and Shahid Afridi took 4-20 as India were dismissed for 127, having been set a target of 194 under the Duckworth-Lewis system.

Indian Sachin Tendulkar missed the match because of an elbow injury.

It is unlikely he will play any part in the competition, which also involves Australia, and his side were also without Harbhajan Singh and Ashish Nehra, who have been suffering from a virus.

Despite their absence from his attack, Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly chose to put Pakistan in after winning the toss.

Afridi hit the fifth ball of the game for six but holed out off Ajit Agarkar when he had made 19 and Yasir Hameed (nine) and Inzamam-ul-Haq (one) followed in an excellent spell by Lakshmipathy Balaji.

He later claimed the wicket of Younis Khan, who was caught behind for a second ball duck, to finsihs with figures of 3-27.

But Malik kept the score ticking over, hitting seven fours in his 66 off 65 balls and sharing a fourth wicket stand of 64 with Yousuf Youhana (30).

India's Mohammad Kaif takes a catch to dismiss Shahid Afridi

Abdul Razzaq and Moin Khan gave the innings a final flourish, putting on 56 in seven overs as Razzaq hit two sixes in his 35 not out and Moin made 27.

India's openers began their reply at an even more hectic pace, racing to 30 in only three and half overs before Virender Sehwag was caught by Malik off Shabbir Ahmed for 17.

It was the dismissal of Ganguly and Rahul Dravid in quick succession, however, which fatally undermined their chances.

Ganguly fell to Razzaq for 25 and Dravid was run out by Inzamam for nought after facing only one delivery to leave them on 70-3.

VVS Laxman made 37 before Malik found a way through his defence with the total on 96 and the remaining batsmen only managed another 31 runs between them.

The last four wickets went down in the space of 10 balls with Balaji the last to go as he hoisted a ball from Afridi to Mohammad Sami at long-on.

India: V Sehwag, S C Ganguly (Capt), R Dravid (Wkt), V V S Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, M Kaif, R S Gavaskar, I K Pathan, A B Agarkar, A Kumble, L Balaji.