It was very difficult for Australian skipper Mark Taylor.
"It's the best Test match I've played," Taylor said Sunday after Australia won the opening test of its four-match series. "The only thing I can say we did wrong was that no one made a hundred.
"All the things we talked about -- bowling the right line, buzzing in the field, lifting our game, being tough, playing the game the right way -- we did all that."
A career-best five wicket haul by fast bowler Glenn McGrath helped bowl out the West Indies for 189 in their second innings, leaving Australian openers Taylor and Michael Slater to reach their victory target of 39 in just 6.5 overs.
McGrath, the tall 25-year-old from New South Wales, removed Stuart Williams and star batsman Brian Lara in his opening spell, then returned just before tea to scatter the tail with three wickets in 15 balls. McGrath, in his 10th Test, led the way with five wickets for 68 runs off 22 overs, and he was well supported by leg-spinner Shane Warne, who took three wickets for 64 runs off 26.3 overs.
"McGrath jumped on the opportunity," Taylor said. "Sometimes when you bowl in the shadow of other people, you don't bowl your best. The fast bowlers really enjoyed the fact that they had to be the men, and they really lifted it."
No. 6 Jimmy Adams was the only West Indian batsman to suggest any permanency, batting 167 minutes and 121 balls for his unbeaten topscore of 39.
It was only the third loss for the West Indies in 31 tests at Kensington Oval but its second on the trot after England's win last year broke a succession of 12 straight home victories.
Taylor, however, cautioned about overconfidence.
"I know the West Indies. That's the way they play," Taylor said. "They can come and get beaten by 10 wickets here and they could bounce back very tough in Antigua."
The second Test begins in St. John's, Antigua, on April 8.
"We don't like losing and we're disappointed we've lost this Test match," West Indian captain Richie Richardson said. "But only one round has gone. There are still three Test matches left and we're going to look to bounce back."
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