Off-spinner Nathan Lyon’s six-wicket haul powered Australia to a 164-run win over West Indies in the first of the two-match Test.
Lyon took 6-128 as the West Indies, chasing 498 to win, were bowled out for 333 before tea on the final day in Perth, the bowler taking his 21st test.
Skipper Kraigg Brathwaite (110 from 188) scored a huge victory for West Indies and late calls by Roston Chase (55 from 85) and Alzarri Joseph (43 from 72) prevented a seemingly imminent collapse as the visitors slumped to 233 -7 in the 17th over. overs in the morning.
Chase and Joseph shared a stand of 82 for the eighth wicket against Australia’s bowling attack without captain Pat Cummins due to a thigh complaint.
Short-spinner Travis Head (2-25) bowled to Joseph, as Lyon dismissed Chase before Kemar Roach (0) fell and his delivery ensured Australia won the match and kept the Frank Worrell Trophy ahead for the second and final over. Test in Adelaide from Thursday.
Marnus Labuschagne scored two tons in Australia’s first innings and a hundred in the second
Earlier, the West Indies lost the pair of Brathwaite and Kyle Mayers (10) in the first hour of the day and managed just 24 runs in 15 overs – Lyon had Mayers caught at slip before dropping Brathwaite.
Brathwaite mocked Australia for more than five hours as he scored his 11th Test over.
Jason Holder (3) went for a big drive and tied the Head to Steve Smith, who took a superb catch at slip, while Josh Hazlewood accounted for Joshua da Silva (12).
West Indies are seven matches down but have not won a Test against Australia since May 2003.
Man of the match Marnus Labuschagne scored 204 in the hosts’ first innings followed by an unbeaten 104 not out in their second as he became the first Australian to score a double hundred in the same match since Greg Chappell in 1974.
