Tendulkar showed some of his old brilliance to propel India

Sachin Tendulkar marked his first full innings after six months out with his 40th one-day century - but rain dashed India's hopes of beating West Indies.

Tendulkar smashed five sixes in his 141 off 148 balls as his side piled up 309-5 in their opening tri-series game.

But Ramnaresh Sarwan and Brian Lara built on a good start from Chris Gayle (45) to help the Windies to 141-2 off only 20 overs in Kuala Lumpur.

Then came the rain to give them victory by 29 runs under Duckworth/Lewis rules.

After their capitulation against Australia on Tuesday, it was just what the Caribbean team needed but spoiled what had been a dream comeback for Tendulkar.

The 33-year-old underwent shoulder surgery in March and, although he returned in the aborted series in Sri Lanka, this was his first big test.

Sporting an elbow brace, he could have been out on just five but wicket-keeper Carlton Baugh failed to hold on after Fidel Edwards got one to shape away and find his outside edge.

It was a special hundred because it came on a difficult track and after a six-month break Sachin Tendulkar More reaction

It was a costly error as the Mumbai maestro punished anything straying in length or direction, signalling his intentions by lofting a short ball from Dwayne Smith over the square-leg fence for his first six.

Captain Rahul Dravid, who had won the toss, also looked in good form before Smith angled one in which kept a bit low and won an lbw verdict.

Tendulkar brushed off that and a 20-minute rain delay to reach 50 off 67 balls and 100 off 119, while Irfan Pathan provided good support with two maximums and six fours in his 68-ball 64.

But when Gayle bowled the latter and Taylor beat Virender Sehwag and Mahendra Dhoni with two balls which also kept low, the scoring slowed.

Match referee Chris Broad later said the uneven bounce was down to a depression in the pitch caused by an underlying fault.

It did not bother Suresh Raina (34) and Tendulkar, who struck four of his sixes during the carnage of the last 10 overs in which 89 runs came.

Gayle was typically undaunted and began with a flurry of boundaries to dominate his opening stand with Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who top-edged a hook off the expensive Rudra Pratap Singh to fall for six.

Dhoni took a good catch to remove Gayle off Munaf Patel but after a quiet start Lara set about the bowlers.