"I wouldn't say this was an easy Test win," stand-in captain Gilchrist told reporters after his side clinched a 217-run victory with more than a session to spare.

"We played really well and had to do really well everything we planned to do," he added.

"It's a convincing win, by 200 runs, but in these (slow) conditions I think those sort of results can come about a bit easier than elsewhere.

"It doesn't necessarily mean a huge gap between the two teams. We have been in this position before. But I think we've got a little bit of different confidence in our team as opposed to three years ago."

On their previous tour in 2001, Australia beat India by 10 wickets in the first Test in Bombay, but went on to lose the three-match series 2-1.

Vangipurappu Laxman hit a record 281 to spark India's comeback victory in the second Test in Calcutta after being asked to follow and off-spinner Harbhajan Singh captured 32 wickets in that series.

Gilchrist said his team arrived in Bombay in 2001 after a record 15 consecutive victories, but had not contemplated defeat.

Australia are chasing their first Test series victory in India since 1969 in this four-Test affair.

"We certainly didn't know what it was to lose a Test match three years ago at this stage.

"I'm aware of that now," he said. "It's pretty much what the whole team is thinking."

Gilchrist received a congratulatory phone call from captain Ricky Ponting, who will miss at least the first two Tests because of a thumb fracture.

He also sprang to Shane Warne's defence on Sunday after the leg-spinner fell agonisingly short of becoming Test cricket's leading bowler.

The champion spinner was hammered for 55 runs by the Indian tail before Australia carved out a 217-run win to take a 1-0 lead.

"I know a lot can be said about Warney's bowling on the final day, but I beg to differ," he said.

"His presence made a lot of difference to the side. Not to forget that he took four wickets in the match."

But Warne, one shy of equalling Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan's Test world record of 532 scalps, removed Laxman cheaply in both innings.

"Warne got the most dangerous man we have come across in world cricket," Gilchrist said.

"He got him out twice in this game.

"If Warney gets eight wickets in this series and that's all Laxman, as captain I'll take that."

Indian captain Sourav Ganguly was however confident his team would come back strongly in the series.

"It is a matter of one good knock by the leading batsmen. Their records speak for themselves. I don't think they have anything to prove.

"Warne has never been a difficult bowler to play for Indians. But the important thing is that we play all the Australian bowlers well."

Only Rahul Dravid, top-scorer with 60 in the second innings, a maiden Test half-century by tail-ender Irfan Pathan (55) and Harbhajan Singh with an entertaining 42, showed any decent resistance.

"Some of us got good starts, but we failed to convert them," said Ganguly. "We need to get our acts together and put runs on the board."

Ganguly was hopeful that Harbhajan, who took 11 wickets on his comeback from a long injury lay-off, will be even more effective in the remaining Tests.

"He has taken 40-odd wickets in his last four tests against Australia," he said. "Those are huge numbers.

Ganguly was also hopeful that Sachin Tendulkar will return from an elbow injury for the second starting on Thursday.

The Indian batting maestro has been sidelined since August.

"We hope he gets fit before the next Test. He is going to have a net when we reach there."