Bravo continued an excellent all-round performance for West Indies

Half centuries from Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Ramnaresh Sarwan put West Indies in command on day two of the first Test against India in Antigua.

Having dismissed the tourists for 241, the Windies reached 318-6 by the close, a lead of 77 runs.

Gayle top scored with a typically belligerent 72, Bravo hit an attractive 63 while Sarwan laboured to 57.

Virender Sehwag was the pick of the bowlers with 2-32, dismissing Bravo and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who made 24.

Munaf Patel (2-60) and leg-spinner Anil Kumble (2-85) were also among the wickets but the inexperience of seamers Sri Sreesanth and VRV Singh was exposed during Gayle's initial assault.

We've got some work to do, but the Test match is still there to be won India coach Greg Chappell More close of play reaction

They lost line and length as he produced a series of audacious strokes, deliberately upper-cutting over the slip cordon and lofting Sreesanth over long-on for a towering six.

He and Sarwan put on 119 for the second wicket after Daren Ganga was lbw to Patel for nine in the fourth over.

TV replays suggested it was a debatable decision but perhaps Patel was due a bit of good fortune after an even better shout against Gayle from his opening delivery was turned down.

Gayle was eventually caught at slip off Kumble and Patel achieved a vital success when he had West Indies captain Brian Lara caught at point for 18 as he sliced an attempted drive.

Paceman Patel celebrates the early dismissal of Daren Ganga

Sarwan reached his 50 when he turned Singh through backward square leg for a single to reach 4,000 runs in his 60th Test.

West Indies were 182-3 at tea, but Sarwan was adjudged lbw to a flipper from Kumble with the first ball after the break.

Bravo, who hit 11 fours, and Chanderpaul put on 73 for the fifth wicket before both fell to Sehwag in the final session - Chanderpaul caught behind off the under-edge and Bravo stumped as he lunged forward out of his crease.

India skipper Dravid kept the pressure on but Denesh Ramdin (22) and Ian Bradshaw (15) batted sensibly to see things through to the close.

Earlier in the day, the tourists only managed to add six runs to their overnight total before Fidel Edwards bowled Patel for nought with a leg-cutter, leaving Sreesanth unbeaten on 29.