Lara dug in for his team to reach his century off 272 balls

Captain Brian Lara hit a battling 120 as West Indies salvaged a draw against India in the second Test in St Lucia.

The hosts began on 43-1, needing 330 more to make India bat again, and soon lost Daren Ganga and Ramnaresh Sarwan.

But Shivnarine Chanderpaul (54) and Dwayne Bravo (47) provided support for Lara and they reached safety on 294-7.

It was the second successive match in which the Windies had to survive a final-day battle and the third of four Tests starts in St Kitts on 22 June.

The Indians will feel they should be at least 1-0 up after failing to take the last wicket in Antigua and falling short in St Lucia.

They were not helped by the weather in the second match, with rain washing out the fourth day.

We're buoyant because we're still level - nobody has drawn blood in this series Brian Lara More reaction

But when Ganga left alone a Kumble googly and was bowled and Sarwan edged Munaf Patel behind the tourists were scenting victory.

Chanderpaul was hit on the elbow by Kumble in the over before lunch but remained at the crease after treatment from the physio.

He put on 129 with Lara and when he finally fell, top-edging a sweep at a full-toss to mid-on, a draw was in sight - especially so when his skipper battled away to reach his ton off 272 balls.

Lara mixed solid defence to the spinner with some trademark crashing cover drives to take his side to the brink of safety.

The left-hander was trapped lbw by Man of the Match Virender Sehwag and Bravo was caught off bat and pad off Kumble (3-98) but there was no tension like in Antigua this time.

Denesh Ramdin and Ian Bradshaw had some nervous moments - the wicket-keeper was dropped 15 minutes before the close off Patel by Indian captain Rahul Dravid at second slip, while Bradshaw survived confident lbw appeals from Patel and Kumble.