West Indies 165/7 at stumps on third day against India

Kingston, May 20: India effected a remarkable turnaround in their fortunes but were unable to give finish it off as West Indies tightened their grip on the series-deciding fifth and final Test here on Monday.

After a disappointing batting performance had seen them being bundled out for 212 to concede a 210-run first innings lead, India's hopes were revived when their bowlers, led by Zaheer Khan and Javagal Srinath, put up a spirited show in the West Indies second innings.

India wiped off the top half of the West Indian batting, including skipper Carl Hooper and star batsman Brian Lara, for just 81 runs and then reduced them to 122 for seven before a stubborn eighth-wicket partnership between Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Pedro Collins spoiled their party.

Chanderpaul and Collins put on 43 runs in about one and a half hours to carry their team to 165 for seven at the end of the third day's play, which gave West Indies a commanding lead of 375.

Chanderpaul, who has been the thorn in the flesh for the Indians in this series, played another frustrating knock to remain unbeaten on 55, his third half-century apart from the three hundreds he has scored in the last five matches.

Collins made only four runs but provided excellent support to his partner.

At tea, Javagal Srinath and Zaheer Khan shared four wickets to raise visions of an Indian fightback.

Srinath took 2-19 and Zaheer 2-25 as the West Indies struggled to reach 65/4 on the third day for an overall lead of 275.

Srinath and Zaheer gave the West Indies a dose of their own medicine after fast bowler Mervyn Dillon had triggered an Indian collapse with a career-best 5-71.

India lost their last six wickets for 44 before being shot out for 212 in reply to the West Indies' 422 despite a solid unbeaten 65 from Venkatsai Laxman.

The West Indies, deciding not to enforce a follow-on after gaining a lead of 210, faltered against Srinath and Zaheer who ran through the top order during their impressive opening spells.

Srinath removed openers Chris Gayle (15) and Wavell Hinds (6), while Zaheer got rid of Ramnaresh Sarwan (12) and skipper Carl Hooper (6) to sustain their team's hopes of bouncing back into the match.

Dillon had carved out a rosy opening for his team to win the five-Test series currently tied at 1-1 with an incisive eight-over opening spell, accounting for skipper Sourav Ganguly (36), Ajay Ratra (3) and Harbhajan Singh(4).

Laxman alone defied the West Indies pace attack with his sensible batting, but received no support as wickets kept falling from the other end.

He farmed the bowling for 44 minutes after nine wickets had fallen for 197, but could not help his team cross the follow-on mark of 213 as Ashish Nehra failed to beat a Sarwan direct-hit to the striker's end while trying to give his partner the strike.

The stylish middle-order batsman struck seven fours in his 152-ball knock to extend his impressive form on the tour, having so far scored 451 with the help of a hundred and four half-centuries.

Laxman failed to upstage Dillon, who wrecked India's hopes with his pace, bounce and movement on a lively pitch to finish with the second five-wicket haul in 26 Tests.

His only five-wicket effort before this match came in 1997-98, when he bagged 5-111 against Pakistan at Karachi.

Dillon started the slide with the dismissal of Ganguly, who was beaten by the movement before being caught by wicket-keeper Ridley Jacobs after adding 14 to his overnight score of 22.

There was no respite for the lower-order Indian batsmen as Dillon kept a tidy line and length.

His next two victims were Ajay Ratra and Harbhajan Singh, who were caught by Hinds at forward short-leg while fending off rising deliveries.

Wicket-keeper Ratra, who scored his maiden century in the fourth Test at Antigua, contributed just three and Harbhajan four.

The West Indies never relaxed their grip over the proceedings after early successes as Cuffy and Collins also chipped in a wicket each.

Cuffy had Zaheer caught by Lara in the covers for six and then Collins removed Srinath, caught by first-slip Gayle for two.