Bridgetown: Ishant Sharma’s personal best of 6 for 55 helped India restrict West Indies to 190 and secure an 11-run first-innings lead on Thursday.
India struck at the fag end of the opening session to reduce the West Indies to 138 for six before lunch on the third day of the second cricket Test.
Overnight batsmen Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Marlon Samuels batted resolutely for most part of third day morning whose start was delayed due to rain by adding 36 runs in 17.4 overs before India got the breakthrough by removing the former in the penultimate over before lunch at Kensington Oval.
Rookie pacer Abhimanyu Mithun claimed the scalp of steadfast Chanderpaul (37). Chanderpaul was unlucky to edge a pull off a delivery which did not rise and crashed into his stumps.
West Indies, who resumed at 98 for five in reply to India`s 201 all out, added 40 runs from 19.3 overs possible in the morning session and they now trailed by 63 runs with their four first innings wickets remaining.
At the break, Samuels was batting on 43 while Carlton Baugh was giving him company on one.
Chanderpaul and Samuels added 77 runs for the sixth wicket which was the most resolute batting put up by the hosts in the series so far.
Till Chanderpaul`s dismissal, West Indies had showed a rare batting resolve.
Early showers once again delayed the start of the third day`s play by an hour but the West Indian pair lost little time in falling into their groove.
Ishant Sharma steamed in and his new-ball partner Praveen Kumar showed his characteristic energy but the unruffled pair were determined to hang around at the crease.
Runs were difficult to come by and Chanderpaul had a few anxious moments against rising deliveries of Sharma but there were no undue alarms for the hosts.
Chanderpaul once hooked Sharma to fine leg boundary but was generally less happy against the rising deliveries of the tall bowler. Samuels was tested on his off-stump but showed a good judgment of leaving the away deliveries but for once when he fiercely cut Sharma to the point boundary.
Sharma bowled seven overs on the trot and gave away 18 runs before being replaced by Abhimanyu Mithun at the far end, 15 minutes before the lunch break.
Harbhajan Singh was brought in to bowl in the 47th over, the first genuine spell for the off-spinner, who promptly bowled a maiden to Chanderpaul.
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