We had a go for a while but always knew it was going to be a bit of a challenge Rahul Dravid More post-match reaction

India batted out time to earn a draw in the third Test against West Indies in St Kitts and leave everything to play for in the final game of the series.

They were 298-4 when a halt was called after being set an unlikely target of 392 by home skipper Brian Lara.

Rahul Dravid was 68 not out when he and Lara shook hands and Wasim Jaffer (54), Virender Sehwag (65) and VVS Laxman (63) also made half centuries.

The fourth and final Test starts at Sabina Park in Jamaica on Friday.

West Indies added 59 runs in eight overs at the start of play before Lara decided enough was enough and declared on 172-6.

Dwayne Bravo (nine) holed out at long-on off Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh picked up the wicket of Marlon Samuels, who was smartly stumped down the leg-side by Mahendra Dhoni after hitting two sixes in his 20.

Daren Ganga remained unbeaten on 66 and that, added to his first innings century, earned him the Man of the Match award at the end of the game.

West Indies were looking to make inroads with the new ball when India began their second innings and Jerome Taylor and Pedro Collins gave Sehwag a thorough going over with a series of short-pitched deliveries.

But fielding lapses cost the home side dear as Sehwag survived to help Jaffer put on 109 for the first wicket.

Sehwag was dropped at slip by Chris Gayle off Taylor when he had made only five and had another let-off on 56 when Ramnaresh Sarwan floored a chance at extra cover.

Lara must now turn his attention to trying to win the decider

West Indies finally made the breakthrough immediately after lunch when Corey Collymore won an lbw decision against Sehwag and when Jaffer edged a ball from left-armer Collins to first slip with the total on 143, there was a glimmer of a chance for the home side.

But Laxman and Dravid were unruffled and put on exactly 100 in 26 overs before Collins found the edge of Laxman's bat and Lara, at second slip, made no mistake.

India needed 149 from a minimum of 25 overs as Dhoni walked to the middle and it looked as though the chase could be on as he despatched his first ball over long-off for six.

He later added another but eventually hammered a ball from Taylor to cover where Gayle took a good catch to send him on his way for 20.

It proved to be the end of India's ambitions as Dravid and Yuvraj Singh played for the close.