India opener Shiv Sunder Das has just one more match to find his form before the first Test against England at Lord's.

Das, who scratched around for 155 painstaking minutes and 112 balls for just 29 runs in the first innings, fared even worse second time around as he was out first ball against West Indies A at Arundel.

He flicked at a delivery down the legside from Reon King and was caught by wicketkeeper Keith Hibbert as India began their second innings 13 runs behind after dismissing the West Indians for 266.

Das now has only the match against Hampshire, starting on Saturday, to get among the runs, although his selection for the first Test looks assured.

India finished day two on 87 for three in their second innings.

They declared their first innings on 253 for seven before bowling out West Indies A just after tea, Ajit Agarkar and Harbhajan Singh taking four wickets each.

Reon King then removed Das, before Sanjay Bangar (27) and Ajay Ratra (eight) fell in swift succession late in the day, leaving Wasim Jaffer unbeaten on 43.

Earlier, Devon Smith, Ryan Hinds and Dwayne Bravo all scored half-centuries for West Indies A.

Good form

Agarkar advertised his good form ahead of the first Test against England, taking four wickets either side of lunch.

Captain Daren Ganga was the first batsman to go, edging Agarkar through to wicketkeeper Ratra for just four.

Donovan Pagon soon followed for a duck when he was trapped in front of his stumps by the same bowler.

Tinu Yohannan struggled badly in his 10 overs up to lunch, bowling four no-balls and five wides, but he was rewarded for his toil when trapping Lendl Simmons lbw for four.

Smith then fell to a run-out early in the afternoon for 69, but Hinds and Bravo swung matters in favour of the Caribbean side with a 101-run stand for the fifth wicket.

Harbhajan separated the pair, trapping Bravo leg before for 55 (off 52 balls), before Agarkar dismissed Chris Gayle for a duck in identical fashion with just one more run added.

Hinds followed on the stroke of tea, caught behind for 62 to give Agarkar his fourth wicket for the concession of 55 runs.

And Harbhajan accounted for Keith Hibbert, Jermaine Lawson and Marlon Black in quick succession.

But an expensive spell earlier in the day gave him figures of four for 79 from just 13 overs.

India: S S Das, W Jaffer, V V S Laxman (Capt), D Mongia, S B Bangar, M Kaif, A Ratra (Wkt), P A Patel, A B Agarkar, Harbhajan Singh, T Yohannan.

West Indies A: D Ganga (Capt), D S Smith, D J Pagon, L M P Simmons, R O Hinds, D J Bravo, C H Gayle, K H Hibbert (Wkt), J J C Lawson, M I Black, R D King.

Umpires: N J Llong and N A Mallender