ST JOHN'S (Antigua), June 3: Aggressive batting by Chris Gayle gave West Indies the advantage on the second day of the first Test against India on Saturday.

At lunch West Indies were 81 for one in reply to India's first innings 241 with Gayle on 45 with seven fours and a six.

Ramnaresh Sarwan had scored 19 with four fours.

The pair had added 63 from 61 balls for the unbroken second wicket.

India resumed on 235 for nine and eked out six runs in 4.5 overs before they were dismissed when Munaf Patel prodded unconvincingly at a delivery from fast bowler Fidel Edwards and was bowled without scoring.

Shanthakumaran Sreesanth finished with 29 not out.

Edwards and medium-pacer Dwayne Bravo, who took four for 40, were the only bowlers used by West Indies captain Brian Lara on Saturday.

Fast bowler Corey Collymore took three for 27 on Friday.

Gayle signalled his intentions with the ninth ball of the West Indies' reply when he slashed a wide delivery from fast bowler Patel over the slips to register the first four of the innings.

Fellow opener Daren Ganga followed suit in safer fashion in the third over with a deft cut through third man for four off Sreesanth.

India struck back in the fourth over when Patel trapped Ganga in front with an inswinger for nine.

On Friday, Bravo spearheaded an efficient display by the West Indies attack on the first day.The medium pacer generated considerable swing to take four for 37 as India, who won the toss, were reduced to 235 for nine at the close.

The West Indian bowlers quickly settled on a probing line and length on a pitch that offered movement off the seam.

Most of the Indian batsmen, meanwhile, dug their own graves with indecisive or rash strokes.

Captain Rahul Dravid top scored for the visitors with a disciplined 49.

Scoreboard

INDIA (1st Innings, overnight 235-9):

Wasim Jaffer c Ramdin b Edwards 1

V. Sehwag c Lara b Collymore 36

V.V.S. Laxman c Ramdin b Bravo 29

R. Dravid c Lara b Collymore 49

Yuvraj Singh b Mohammed 23

Mohammad Kaif c Ramdin b Bravo 13

M.S. Dhoni c Lara b Collymore 19

A. Kumble b Bravo 21

S. Sreesanth not out 29

V.R.V. Singh c Sarwan b Bravo 2

Munaf Patel b Edwards 0

EXTRAS (LB-8, W-2, NB-9) 19

TOTAL (all out, 92.5 overs) 241

FALL OF WKTS: 1-10, 2-51, 3-72, 4-126, 5-155, 6-179, 7-180, 8-227, 9-231.

BOWLING: Edwards 18.5-3-53-2 (1nb, 1w); Bradshaw 24-3-83-0 (7nb); Collymore 17-7-27-3; Gayle 4-0-6-0; Bravo 22-9-40-4 (1nb, 1w); Mohammed 7-1-24-1.

WEST INDIES (1st Innings):

C.H. Gayle not out 45

D. Ganga lbw b Patel 9

R.R. Sarwan not out 19

EXTRAS (LB-4, NB-4) 8

TOTAL (for one wkt, 14 overs) 81

TO BAT: B.C. Lara, S. Chanderpaul, D.J.J. Bravo, D. Ramdin, D. Mohamed, I.D.R. Bradshaw, F.H. Edwards, C.D. Collymore.

FALL OF WKT: 1-18.

BOWLING (to-date): Sreesanth 5-0-33-0; Munaf Patel 6-0-26-1 (3nb); V.R.V. Singh 3-0-18-0.—Agencies