Slim lead for India

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC):

West Indies failed to make a breakthrough in India's second innings before seasonal wet weather put the brakes on the second Test yesterday.

The hosts' bid for a first-innings lead against India had been undermined by career-best bowling of six wickets for 55 runs from 21.5 overs from Ishant Sharma, as West Indies were dismissed for 190 about 55 minutes before the rescheduled tea break to concede a first-innings lead of 11.

When bad light stopped play 11.2 overs early, India had reached 23 without loss in their second innings - an overall lead of 34 - on a rain-marred third day, when only 42 overs were possible.

Marlon Samuels finished with the top score in the West Indies innings with an unbeaten 78. Sharma triggered a lower-order collapse, becoming the fifth-youngest bowler to take 100 wickets in Tests.

Caught at slip

After Carlton Baugh Jr was caught at slip for two, giving off-spinner Harbhajan Singh his only wicket, West Indies appeared headed to the first innings lead when their captain Darren Sammy joined Samuels, and they confidently added 43 for the eighth wicket.

Sammy was fortunate on 13, when Suresh Raina failed to hold an overhead chance of Praveen Kumar, but Sharma soon trapped him leg before wicket for 15, taking the last three West Indies wickets in the space of six deliveries.

India 1st Innings 201

West Indies 1st Innings

(overnight 98 for five)

D. Bishoo c Kohli b Sharma 13S. Chanderpaul b Mithun 37M. Samuels not out 78+C. Baugh c Dravid b Harbhajan Singh 2D. Sammy lbw b Sharma 15R. Rampaul c Vijay b Sharma 0F. Edwards c wk Dhoni b Sharma 0Extras (lb3, w5, nb5) 13Total: (all out, 73.5 overs) 190

Fall of wickets: 1-3 (Barath), 2-5 (Simmons), 3-30 (Bravo), 4-53 (Bishoo), 5-57 (Sarwan), 6-134 (Chanderpaul), 7-143 (+Baugh), 8-186 (Sammy), 9-190 (Rampaul)

Bowling: Kumar 23-3-67-1; Sharma 21.5-7-55-6 (nb2, w5); Mithun 15-6-34-2 (nb3); Harbhajan Singh 14-3-31-1

India 2nd Innings

A. Mukund not out 8M. Vijay not out 3Extras (lb6, w5, nb1) 12Total: (without loss, 5.4 overs) 23

Bowling: Edwards 3-1-13-0 (nb1, w5); Rampaul 2.4-1-4-0

Umpires: Asad Rauf, I. Gould