The day began predictably, with the West Indies tail collapsing yet again. This is nothing new - the lower order has batted abysmally in the last three or four years. Junior Murray was brought into the side to strengthen the lower order, but since he failed to make any significant contribution in the first two Tests, Ridley Jacobs replaced him. Jacobs made a duck today, but he is a dependable batsman, and I'm sure he will contribute with the bat in the games to follow. Carl Hooper, again, played a captain's knock. He has grown as a batsman since taking over the captaincy. He realizes the importance of his job, and is playing his role to perfection. He is leading West Indies through a very difficult phase, and while he may not be the best captain in the world, it's only a matter of time before he starts producing results.

I was very impressed with the performance of the West Indian pace attack. They've bowled much better here than in Trinidad. Mervyn Dillon maintained a persistent line for the greater part of the day. He is shouldering the responsibility of his seniority well, and has matured tremendously. He might bowl the occasional four-ball, but he is picking up wickets. I'd like to see him tighten up his line even further.

Cameron Cuffy bowled an excellent spell, with 15 maiden overs out of the 18 he bowled today. His line and length was immaculate, and he gave the batsmen no room to play their shots. Adam Sanford picked up the big wicket of Rahul Dravid, and he seems to be improving every time he bowls. I feel, however, that Pedro Collins is unfit to play Test cricket, and was lucky to get picked for this game. He was fortunate to dismiss Sachin Tendulkar in the first innings, but I still feel that he is only suited for the shorter version of the game. It is fair to say that no West Indian bowler is an individual matchwinner, but all that matters is whether they can be collective matchwinners.

The West Indies have worked a lot harder on their fielding and catching in this series. It's good to see that they have got rid of the rubber ball which they used for catching practice in Sharjah, during the series against Pakistan. They seem to be catching a lot better in this game. Jacobs was brilliant behind the stumps. He pulled off another blinder to dismiss Dravid, following his first-innings performance. Jacobs is undoubtedly our most reliable wicket keeper, and his effort in this Test proves it.

West Indies are in a very strong position, and it is difficult to see them not winning this game. It's been a while since they have found themselves in this type of a situation, so it is vital that they seize the opportunity.

Michael Holding, a key member of the West Indies pace quartet of the 1970s and '80s, will be contributing the Wisden Verdict for all the Tests in this series. He was talking to Dhruv Mullick.

More West Indian Verdicts
Day 1 Frail as ever
Day 2 The burden of expectation

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