GROS ISLET (St Lucia), June 13: Rain intervened to improve West Indies' chances of saving the second Test against India when the entire morning session on the fourth day was washed out on Tuesday.

West Indies were 43 for one in their follow-on innings, needing 373 to make India bat again.

India had scored 588 for eight declared in their first innings and then dismissed the West Indies for 215 by tea on the third day.

With steady showers at Beausejour Stadium throughout the morning, and captain Brian Lara at the crease on 15 not out, West Indies have growing hopes of saving the match and keeping the four-Test series level at 0-0.

Spinners Anil Kumble and Virender Sehwag put India firmly in control after the third day's play on Monday.

Kumble (3-57) and Sehwag (3-33) shared six wickets to help India bowl West Indies out for a low score.

Daren Ganga (24 not out) and Lara showed determined defence as West Indies sought to repair the second innings after Chris Gayle (2) was dismissed early on.

Kumble became the fourth highest wicket-taker in Test history to help India run through the West Indies first innings.

His haul took him past West Indies paceman Courtney Walsh and on

to 520 wickets, 22 short of Australia's Glenn McGrath.

Starting the day on 65-3, the West Indies battled to 167-5 when Kumble had Dwayne Bravo caught at slip by Indian captain Rahul Dravid for 25.

Denesh Ramdin went for 30 caught behind off Munesh Patel who with his tight line and length ended with figures of three for 51 in 17 overs.

Jerome Taylor provided a brief attacking flurry with two fours and a six in his 23 before Sehwag lured him into hitting a catch to Mohammad Kaif at deep midwicket.

Pedro Collins edged the off-spinner to Dravid at slip five balls later to be out for a duck.

Tea was delayed for 10 minutes as India went in search of the last wicket and Sehwag duly took a superb return catch, diving low to his right, to remove Ian Bradshaw for 20.

Scoreboard

INDIA (1st Innings) 588-8 declared (V. Sehwag 180, Mohammad Kaif 148 not out, R. Dravid 146; P.T. Collins 4-116).

WEST INDIES (1st Innings):

C.H. Gayle c Dhoni b Kumble 46

D. Ganga lbw b Patel 16

R.R. Sarwan lbw b Patel 0

B.C. Lara lbw b Kumble 7

S. Chanderpaul lbw b Pathan 30

D.J.J. Bravo c Dravid b Kumble 25

D. Ramdin c Dhoni b Patel 30

I.D.R. Bradshaw c and b Sehwag 20

J.E. Taylor c Kaif b Sehwag 23

P.T. Collins c Dravid b Sehwag 0

C.D. Collymore not out 2

EXTRAS (B-5, LB-2, NB-9) 16

TOTAL (all out, 85.1 overs) 215

FALL OF WKTS: 1-36, 2-36, 3-55, 4-106, 5-106, 6-167, 7-178, 8-209, 9-210.

BOWLING: Irfan Pathan 11-2-43-1; Munaf Patel 17-4-51-3; Kumble 30-12-57-3 (5nb); V.R. Singh 10-3-23-0 (4nb); Sehwag 16.1-5-33-3; Yuvraj Singh 1-0-1-0.

WEST INDIES (2nd Innings, following-on):

C.H. Gayle c Dhoni b Pathan 2

D. Ganga not out 24

B.C. Lara not out 15

EXTRAS (NB-2) 2

TOTAL (for one wkt, 17.3 overs) 43

FALL OF WKT: 1-2.

BOWLING (to-date): Irfan Pathan 7-1-23-1; Munaf Patel 5-4-4-0; V.R. Singh 3-0-9-0 (2nb); Kumble 2-0-7-0; Sehwag 0.3-0-0-0.—Reuters