Second Test, Port of Spain, day three: India 339 & 165-4 (at close); West Indies 1st innings 245
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India have taken control of the second Test at Port of Spain despite losing talisman Sachin Tendulkar for a duck on the third day.

The tourists' saviours were captain Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman, who shared an unbroken fifth wicket partnership of 109.

Laxman will restart on Monday on 60 and Ganguly on 48 with India on 165 for four in their second innings.

That translates to an advantage of 259 heading into the last two days after securing a first-innings lead of 94.

Sanford celebrates the dismissal of Tendulkar

The West Indies team, who resumed on Sunday morning on 197 for six, were bowled out earlier in the day for 245 in reply to India's 339.

Laxman had joined Ganguly with the Indians in crisis at 56 for four after the unfortunate dismissal of Tendulkar.

The West Indies sensed a way back into the match after grabbing three wickets for two runs in 14 deliveries just before tea.

But Laxman's third successive half century of the series and Ganguly's determined effort tilted the balance firmly toward the away team.

Right-hander Laxman hit seven boundaries off 125 balls in three hours.

Ganguly, with the responsibility of authority on his shoulders, carefully moving to his 48 in 190 minutes. The left-hander from Calcutta hit just three fours off 142 balls.

Critical wicket

Earlier, India's opening batsmen again failed to give them a solid platform.

Despite conceding a lead of 96, the West Indies burst back into contention late in the middle session at the Queen's Park Oval when reducing India to 77-4 in their second innings.

Adam Sanford took two of the wickets to fall, including the critical one of Tendulkar for a four-ball duck as 54-1 soon became 56-4.

Shiv Sundar Das was trapped early on by Merv Dillon for nought, but Rahul Dravid looked in awesome touch as he drove and pulled the seamers handsomely.

Scares

But with the second-wicket stand worth 48, Dravid lost partner Sanjay Bangar when the number three was caught in the slips by Carl Hooper off Sanford.

Moments later Dravid departed, caught off a glove down the leg side by Junior Murray off Cameron Cuffy for 36.

And after Tendulkar was out, Sourav Ganguly survived a couple of scares before India got to tea.

The West Indies had failed to get close to India's first innings score of 339.

Hooper hit a dogged 50, but was not helped by losing partner Dillon early in the day, and eventually he had to hit out.

Dillon was trapped half-forward as left-arm seamer Ashish Nehra removed him lbw for nine, leaving Hooper to nurse the remainder of a fragile-looking tail.

A suicidal run out spelt the end of Marlon Black for just six, before Hooper was caught at extra cover.

Harbhajan Singh wrapped up the innings when Sanford was brilliantly caught in the deep by Tendulkar.

West Indies: Carl Hooper (captain), Christopher Gayle, Stuart Williams, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Brian Lara, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Junior Murray, Mervyn Dillon, Cameron Cuffy, Marlon Black, Adam Sanford.

India: Sourav Ganguly (captain), Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Shiv Sundar Das, Vangipurappu Laxman, Ajay Ratra, Sanjay Bangar, Javagal Srinath, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra.