ST JOHN'S, June 2: West Indies claimed the wicket of Venkatsai Laxman just before lunch to leave India on 74-3 on the opening day of the first Test against West Indies on Friday at the Antigua Recreation Ground.

Choosing to bat, India reached the interval with their captain Rahul Dravid not out on six and left-hander Yuvraj Singh yet to score.

Laxman was caught behind off Dwayne Bravo for a workmanlike 29, driving loosely at a well-pitched outswinger, after he and Dravid spent the second half of the morning period trying to dig their side out of a sticky situation.

Openers Wasim Jaffer and Virender Sehwag were dismissed in the first hour, as the West Indies bowlers gained appreciable bounce and movement from the pitch under sunny skies.

Jaffer was caught behind off Fidel Edwards for one in the third over of the morning, and just before the drinks break, Sehwag was caught at second slip for 36 off Corey Collymore.

Sehwag struck seven boundaries from 37 balls in a typically cavalier knock, including a few rasping leg-side strokes off the West Indies new ball pair of Edwards and Ian Bradshaw.

West Indies omitted Marlon Samuels, Runako Morton, and Jerome Taylor from their squad of 14 chosen ahead of the match.

India, who have not won a series in the Caribbean since Ajit Wadekar's side achieved victory 35 years ago, surprisingly included left-arm fast-medium bowler Irfan Pathan and off-spin bowler Harbhajan Singh in the five they left out of their visiting 16.

The four-Test series between the two sides also features matches at Gros Islet (June 10-14), Basseterre (June 22-26), and Kingston (June 30-July 4).

Scoreboard

India

Wasim Jaffer c Ramdin b Edwards 1

Virender Sehwag c Lara b Collymore 36

VVS Laxman c Ramdin b Bravo 29

Rahul Dravid not out 35

Yuvraj Singh b Mohammed 23

Mohammad Kaif not out 15

Extras: (2lb, 1nb, 4w) 7

TOTAL: (for four wickets) 144

Fall of wkts: 10-1, 51-2, 72-3, 126-4.

To bat: Mahendra Dhoni, Anil Kumble, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, Vikram Singh, Munaf Patel.

Bowling: Fidel Edwards 11-2-34-1 (1w), Ian Bradshaw 15-1-56-0 (4nb), Corey Collymore 11-5-15-1, Chris Gayle 4-0-6-0, Dwayne Bravo 8-5-7-1, Dave Mohammed 7-1-24-1.

West Indies: Chris Gayle, Daren Ganga, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Brian Lara, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Dwayne Bravo, Denesh Ramdin, Dave Mohammed, Ian Bradshaw, Fidel Edwards, Corey Collymore.

Umpires: Simon Taufel, Australia, and Asad Rauf, Pakistan. Third/TV umpire: Billy Doctrove, Dominica.

Match referee: Jeff Crowe, New Zealand.—Agencies