Third Test, Bridgetown, day four (close): West Indies 328 & 187-3 v Australia 605-9 dec

West Indies captain Brian Lara has been fighting a mystery illness More photos from Barbados

A battling partnership between captain Brian Lara and vice-captain Ramnaresh Sarwan has given the West Indies hope of avoiding defeat against Australia.

The pair took the hosts to 187-3 at close of play on the fourth day, still 90 runs behind Australia's mammoth first-innings total.

Lara joined Sarwan when recalled opener Chris Gayle was dismissed the first ball after tea as he advanced down the pitch to Stuart MacGill and was stumped.

Gayle scored 56, his second half-century of the match.

Lara has been struggling with a mystery illness but he whipped his first ball through mid-wicket for four, and has so far put on 93 with Sarwan.

Lara has compiled a painstaking 41 off 122 balls, while Sarwan has ground his way to 58 off 134 balls.

Lee took the first two wickets to fall

The Windies were forced to follow on after being bowled out for 328 in their first innings shortly before lunch, and had reached 94-2 in their second attempt by tea.

Brett Lee took both of the wickets, with Darren Smith and Daren Ganga both lbw without reaching double figures.

When Ganga was struck on the toe at the end of the 19th over, just 31 were on the board.

Jason Gillespie was particularly impressive in an eight-over opening spell that yielded just five runs.

The Caribbean side were still 277 runs adrift of Australia's first innings 605 when Jermaine Lawson was the last man out in the hosts' first innings, stumped by Adam Gilchrist.

They had resumed day four on 291-8 but lost Vasbert Drakes for 11 and Lawson for one an hour into the morning.

Australia: Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Ricky Ponting, Darren Lehmann, Steve Waugh (captain), Adam Gilchrist (wkt), Andrew Bichel, Brett Lee, Jason Gillespie, Stuart MacGill, Glenn McGrath

West Indies: Chris Gayle, Devon Smith, Daren Ganga, Brian Lara (capt), Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Carlton Baugh (wkt), Vasbert Drakes, Jermaine Lawson, Tino Best, Omari Banks.

Umpires: David Shepherd (Eng), Srinivas Venkataraghaven (Ind)