Close India 190 for 5 (Sehwag 61, Tendulkar 43) lead West Indies 167 by 23 runs
Scorecard

An overnight-rain-shortened day of two sessions produced the most evenly contested cricket of the series. India took the lead on a dying pitch, but the West Indians earned their pay in a day that ended prematurely under floodlights and overcast skies.

West Indies took five wickets for 97 runs to fight back in this match. Meanwhile India managed only 56 runs after tea with over-defensive batting. Yes, the pitch had one or two devils - but the Indian batsmen made it seem like they were batting in hell.

From a commanding position of being 22 runs behind with eight wickets in hand, India had turned the innings into a struggle of attrition, finishing the day with a narrow lead of 23. Ganguly's men had squandered their advantage.

Despite their improved performance, Hooper & Co. still had reason to worry. The pitch already looked as if it had hosted a week's cricket, and is deteriorating rapidly. One ball from Gareth Breese, the debutant offspinner, kicked off a length and nearly banged the visor of Tendulkar's helmet. A deficit of 100 will mean serious trouble for West Indies.

It could have been an even better day for West Indies if it hadn't been for their awful fielding. Coached by Roger Harper, one of the finest fielders of his (or any) day, Hooper's men dropped three catches - two easy chances from Sehwag and a tough one off Tendulkar, when Shivnarine Chanderpaul made a valiant diving effort running backwards at midwicket. Tendulkar was then on 8.

Jermaine Lawson eventually ended Tendulkar's 113-ball effort of 43, bowling him off an inside-edge. Tendulkar and VVS Laxman had scratched out 22 runs in 17.3 overs.

Earlier, India were cruising at 93 for 0 when Pedro Collins, bowling left-arm round the wicket, ended Sehwag's blitzkrieg (61 off 65 balls) with a ball in line with the leg stump that moved away a shade to knock out the off stick. Sehwag had battered eight fours and three sixes.

Rahul Dravid, with four consecutive Test hundreds behind him, fell 16 runs later for 11, when Lawson, bowling with impressive pace and less impressive control, sent his off stump dancing with a reverse-swinging ball that swung back viciously to end Dravid's dream run. Lawson could not have got a more prized first Test wicket.

Tendulkar, entering his favourite Test ground to a roar of welcome from the large crowd, went into consolidation mode, adding 47 with Bangar. Then Merv Dillon and umpire Asoka de Silva struck after tea, to reduce India from a commanding 155 for 2 to 155 for 4.

First, Dillon ended Bangar's patient 171-ball vigil with a ball in the off-stump area that asked a difficult question. Hooper at slip pouched the edged answer to give Dillon just rewards for a fine bowling effort. His figures at the end of that spell read 15-7-17-2.

Next ball, in what would enter any elite collection of dreadful decisions, Sourav Ganguly was given out according to some arcane cricket law that only Asoka de Silva knows. Ganguly edged Dillon onto his pads, a very thick edge, and no fielder caught the rebound to claim a catch. The scoreboard said lbw, and a disbelieving Ganguly walked off seething. In his previous innings, at Mumbai, de Silva gave Ganguly out lbw to a ball that clearly pitched outside leg.

At the end of the day, though, India alone were to blame for their woes, with an over-cautious display that let West Indies right back into the match, when they should have been shut right out of it.

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd