Michael Clarke during his 81 on Tuesday

Kuala Lumpur: Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s blazing start went in vain as the West Indies suffered a dramatic collapse to give Australia a comfortable 78-run victory in the opening match of the DLF Cup tri-series on Tuesday.

Chanderpaul smashed a 83-ball 92 during a century opening stand with Chris Gayle but the West Indies, chasing a target of 280, lost their last eight wickets for 25 runs and folded up for 201.

Allrounder Shane Watson, who was at the receiving end of Chanderpaul’s fury in his opening spell, benefited from the Caribbean harakiri to return with four for 42.

Gayle slammed an equally aggressive 58 off 46 balls but the rest of the batsmen got out to some loose shots and gave Ricky Ponting’s men an easy victory in the first international match at this off-shore venue.

The Australian total of 279 for nine revolved around Michael Clarke’s stroke-filled 81 and a fluent 54 by Ponting.

The scoreline could have been even larger if not for Jerome Taylor’s accurate fast bowling that fetched him three for 59 and cut the Aussie sails in the closing stages.

The West Indies now take on India in the second match at the same venue on Thursday. Chanderpaul and Gayle were on fire as they added 136 runs for the opening wicket.

After making three from the first 22 balls he faced, the former captain cut loose with an array of strokes against the Aussie new ball bowlers.

Apart from Glenn McGrath, who was playing in his first match in eight months, the rest of the Australian bowlers looked hapless as the two left-handers went hammer and tongs.

Nathan Bracken, who started with two maiden overs, was thrashed for three successive boundaries by Chanderpaul in his next over.

The left arm seamer’s following over cost 17 runs through two sixes and a four, all to Chanderpaul whose 50 came off 45 balls.

Gayle, who till then was unusually subdued, found his boundary in the 12th over off Watson.

The Jamaican, who was dropped by Clarke on 13, then lifted Mitchell Johnson for an effortless six and followed it up with a boundary in the same over. Watson provided the breakthrough when Gayle chopped a catch straight to Phil Jaques at point. His 58 consisted of seven boundaries and two sixes.