India Smell Victory against West Indies in 2nd Test

India marched steadily towards victory after enforcing the follow-on despite an improved batting performance by West Indies in the second innings of the second test at Eden Gardens on Wednesday.

At the close on the third day, West Indies were 195 for three wickets, still trailing India by 283 runs, with Darren Bravo (38) and Shivnarine Chanderpaul (21) at the crease.

Adrian Barath (62) and Kirk Edwards (60) scored dogged half-centuries in West Indies' second innings after the visitors collapsed in a heap to be all out for 153 in their first essay. West Indies lost opener Kraigg Brathwaite (9) early, but Barath (62) and Edwards added 93 for the second wicket to lead the tourists' fightback.

Brathwaite edged paceman Umesh Yadav in the fifth over for captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni to complete a low catch behind the stumps. Barath, who hit 10 boundaries, played a wild drive against paceman Ishant Sharma, four deliveries after the tea break, and Vangipurappu Laxman held on to a low chance at slip.

I think we did not bat as well as we should have in the first innings. Basically we learnt from our mistakes in the first innings and we applied ourselves a bit more, Barath told reporters. It shows that as a team we are capable of playing spin well. I think it was just a matter of application in the first innings, he added.

The 21-year old Barath was still hopeful that West Indies could avoid the innings defeat by making India bat again.

It is going to be difficult. Shivnarine Chanderpaul is the key player for us tomorrow, he said. He is the one who can bat through tomorrow and make it difficult for the Indian bowlers and take the game into the fifth day and make them bat again, he added.

The lanky Sharma, who is leading the Indian attack in the absence of Zaheer Khan, also got rid of Edwards when he got him out lbw. Edwards hit six boundaries and a six during his knock.

WICKETS GALORE

Earlier, the West Indies batsmen capitulated under the weight of India's mammoth first innings total of 631 for seven declared and were bundled out in the morning session.

Resuming on the overnight score of 34 for two, the tourists, trailing 1-0 in the three-match series, offered little resistance as India's bowlers ran riot to scuttle them in 140 minutes on the third day. Left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha picked up four wickets while Yadav and off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin chipped in with three and two respectively.

The visiting batsmen lasted 48 overs in their first innings with India's bowlers extracting considerable spin and bounce from the track.

I think right now we are in the driver's seat and things are going pretty well, Ojha said. We are hitting the right areas and we are confident that we can get them out tomorrow as soon as possible.

Yadav took the wickets of Bravo (30) and Marlon Samuels (25) - the only batsmen to offer some resistance - in the morning, clean-bowling both of them. Ashwin, who got married a day before the second test started, picked up the prized wicket of Chanderpaul.

West Indies captain Darren Sammy (18) went on the counter-attack and hit two fours and a straight six during his 14-ball knock. However, he edged Ojha to Dhoni behind the stumps immediately after hitting the six.

The teams will play the third and final test in Mumbai from Tuesday.