GEORGETOWN (Guyana), April 13: Australia beat the West Indies by nine wickets to win the first Test at the Bourda ground here on Sunday.

Justin Langer followed up his first innings 146 with an unbeaten 78 to guide the Australians to victory in the opening match of the four-Test series.

Australia lost one wicket along the way, Matthew Hayden lofted an attempted pull shot and was caught off Jermaine Lawson’s bowling for 19.

Vice-captain Ricky Ponting hit the winning run and remained not out 42.

The Australians earlier took just 41 minutes to wrap up the West Indian second innings with paceman Jason Gillespie finishing with 5-39 for his seventh five-wicket haul in Test cricket.

Gillespie claimed 4 for four off 4.2 overs as the West Indies added just 17 runs and lost their last five wickets in 8.2 overs on Sunday morning. The big fast bowler finished with figures of five for 38, his seventh five-wicket haul in Tests.

It was Australia’s first win at the Bourda Ground since 1978, but they have won four overall of seven Tests at the ground. The West Indies had not been beaten in Georgetown since 1988 against Pakistan.

It was Australia’s 13th win in their last 15 Tests and they have now won 13 of 39 Tests in the Caribbean. The West Indies have won 13 with 13 drawn.

On Saturday, Brian Lara, playing his first Test since being reinstated as West Indies captain, and Daren Ganga both hit centuries as West Indies launched a brave fightback.

The pair added 185 for the third wicket and helped steer West Indies, a daunting 252 behind from the first innings, to 381 for five at the close on the third day.

West Indies were also helped by a Devon Smith half century on his debut earlier in the day.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul (26) and Vasbert Drakes (14) were at the crease at the close.

Lara, who on taking the field was jeered by some parts of the Guyanese crowd unhappy at the sacking of their compatriot Carl Hooper after the World Cup, struck 20 fours in his innings of 110 before hitting his own wicket off the bowling of Brad Hogg with the score on 295.

The left-hander attempted one of his familiar sweep shots but missed, the ball hit his elbow and flew away but he clipped the leg stump with his bat on the follow through.

Lara’s fellow Trinidadian Ganga, whose place in the team has been in danger after some unconvincing recent displays, atoned for the disappointment of Lara’s dismissal by completing his maiden Test century in his first Caribbean series, shortly afterwards.

He survived a lbw appeal from Hogg on 96 after missing a looping full toss and three balls later drove the same bowler through the onside for four to complete his century.

Ganga was finally out for 113 when he hit a Lehman delivery straight into the hands of Brett Lee at short mid-wicket.

West Indies also lost Marlon Samuels for seven in the final session after he was caught at first slip by Ricky Ponting off the bowling of Stuart MacGill.

Smith had given the West Indies a solid start as he made 62.

The 21-year-old left hander from Grenada hit 13 fours off 88 balls before edging a Gillespie delivery behind to Adam Gilchrist.

Lara and Ganga, who came to the crease after Wavell Hinds was lbw to leg-spinner Stuart MacGill in what seemed another harsh decision by Sri Lanka umpire Asoka da Silva, kept the scoreboard ticking over.

Although the Australian bowlers managed to slow the Lara and Ganga partnership to 37 in the first hour after lunch, the West Indian pair broke loose before tea as they added another 85.

Ganga came back to life with two fours in the same Stuart over and in the next, he deflected Bichel’s ball through the slips for four to bring up his 50.

Lara also found some fluent form, winning the crowd over with a flurry of fours to all parts of the ground and was given a rousing ovation when he swept a four through the covers to complete his 19th Test century.

The second Test starts on Saturday in Port-of-Spain.