BBC SPORT | Cricket | Sarwan thwarts Indian spinners

Second Test, Madras, day three, stumps: West Indies 167 and 186-4; India 316

West Indies enjoyed better fortune in their second innings at the Chidambaram stadium, but India will expect to complete a comprehensive victory on Sunday.

A fine unbeaten innings of 62 by Ramnaresh Sarwan, together with a couple of more aggressive innings by Wavell Hinds (61) and Carl Hooper (46) gave the tourists a lead of 37.

For much of the day, the home team's spin attack was notably less effective than it had been on day one.

Saturday's action in pictures

But after allowing India to move from an overnight 190 for five to 316 all out, West Indies perhaps left themselves with too testing a task.

At the start of the day, Javagal Srinath and Harbhajan Singh produced some entertaining batting.

Parthiv Patel batted for two-and-a-half hours

Harbhajan was dropped three times as he hit one six and five fours in a 43-ball knock for 37 crucial runs.

The floodlights were on in the morning session as Parthiv Patel (23) assisted Harbhajan admirably before the latter was finally bowled by fast bowler Merv Dillon.

The pair put on 51 for the seventh wicket after VVS Laxman had been caught and bowled by Gareth Breese for 24.

When Harbhajan went, Srinath produced some lusty blows to give India precisely the sort of total they were seeking when the third day began.

There is less bounce now and it is also tending to keep lower and slower

Harbhajan Singh

The West Indies' second innings then got off to a poor start when Chris Gayle was caught at third man in the first over for a duck.

But Hinds and Sarwan repaired the damage by putting on 96 for the second wicket.

Paid the price

Hinds, the Jamaican left-hander, scored much faster than his colleague and ultimately paid the price for some big hitting.

Having lofted Harbhajan for a six, he attempted to repeat the shot in the same over only to hole out at short extra cover.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul was then dismissed cheaply by Srinath before Hooper and Sarwan continued the momentum.

Hooper was finally out when he mis-read an Anil Kumble googly, and Patel took a fine catch off the batsman's gloves.

India: Sourav Ganguly (captain), Virender Sehwag, Sanjay Bangar, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, V.V.S. Laxman, Parthiv Patel, Javagal Srinath, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan.

West Indies: Carl Hooper (captain), Chris Gayle, Wavell Hinds, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ryan Hinds, Gareth Breese, Ridley Jacobs, Mervyn Dillon, Pedro Collins and Jermaine Lawson.

Umpires: David Shepherd (England) and Asoka D'Silva (Sri Lanka).

March Referee: Mike Proctor (South Africa).


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