Sharma Bowls India To First-Innings Lead

Sharma Bowls India To First-Innings Lead

Ishant Sharma (right) and Harbhajan Singh took four wof the wickets to fall on day three

©REUTERS/Andrew Caballero-Reynolds (INDIA - Tags: SPORT CRICKET) Picture Supplied by Action Images

India 201 (Laxman 85, Raina 53) & 23-0 v
West Indies 190 (Samuels 78no, Sharma 6-55)
Second Test, Barbados, day three
Scorecard

Ishant Sharma returned career-best figures of six for 55 as India sealed a first-innings lead of 11on a rain-curtailed third day of the second Test against the West Indies in Bridgetown, Barbados.

Sharma's outstanding spell of fast bowling was the catalyst for the West Indies to be dismissed for 190 in reply to 201 and India closed on 23 without loss in their second innings.

Only 42 overs were possible and a bizarre four balls were bowled in the shortest of short final sessions after rain and bad light brought about an early tea.

Abhinav Mukund (8) and Murali Vijay (3) saw off those deliveries - the only ones possible before the light closed in again.

The West Indies resumed on 98 for five and advanced their score to 134 with Marlon Samuels and Shivnarine Chanderpaul (37) battling hard.

Chanderpaul was bowled by Abhimanyu Mithun and after Carlton Baugh (2) was brilliantly caught by Rahul Dravid at slip driving at Harbhajan Singh, Sharma removed Darren Sammy (15), Ravi Rampaul (0) and Fidel Edwards (0).

A patient Samuels made an unbeaten 78 in 172 balls, running out of partners as he pushed for a third Test century.

Just 25.3 overs had been bowled on day two, which saw India make inroads into the West Indies innings, which progressed from 30 for three to 98 for five.

Half-centuries from VVS Laxman (85) and Suresh Raina (53) set up India's  score after they were reduced to 38 for four.

India lead the three-match series 1-0 following a 63-run win in the first Test in Jamaica.

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