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MIAMI: India built up a lead of 104 runs over West Indies with four first-innings wickets remaining at the close of the third day of the third and final test in Dominica on Friday as the tourists moved closer to securing a series victory.
India lead the three-test series 1-0 and it is hard to see how, barring a second-innings catastrophe, they can lose that advantage in the final two days of a rain-affected test.
Half centuries from Abhinav Mukund (62) Vangipurappu Laxman (56), Suresh Raina (50) and skipper MS Dhoni (65 not out) were the backbone of India's 308 for six at the end of what, for this series at least, was a rare day of rain-free cricket.
West Indies were hampered by the absence of seamer Ravi Rampaul who did not bowl at all due to a virus which kept him at the team hotel for most of the day.
With the other pace bowler Fidel Edwards also having some physical difficulties, West Indies skipper Darren Sammy, who opened the bowling with his medium pace, bowled 26 overs while spinner Devendra Bishoo worked his way through 35 overs.
West Indies even turned to the occasional spin of Kirk Edwards and Shivnarine Chanderpaul - with the latter producing a surprise wicket when the Guyanese had Laxman stumped in unusual fashion by Carlton Baugh.
The day began brightly for the hosts when Murali Vijay (5) was caught behind off a rising delivery from Edwards and then India found themselves 18 for two after Rahul Dravid (5) was bowled by Sammy.
Mukund and Laxman saw the tourists through to 102 for two at lunch and the 98-run partnership between the pair laid the foundations for India's innings.
Mukund, who had made his maiden test half-century, must have been fancying his chances of going on to a first hundred but he was caught, off a bat-pad, by Adrian Barath from Bishoo's spin.
Virat Kohli was then caught behind off Sammy to leave the tourists at 168 for four and a key breakthrough for the home side came with the dismissal of Laxman who, on 56, let go an innocuous, wide delivery from Chanderpaul but lifted his foot briefly and wicket-keeper Baugh reacted sharply to stump him.
At 172 for five, West Indies, despite injuries also appearing to affect Sammy and Edwards, would have fancied their chances of getting into the Indian tail but a 103-run partnership between Raina and Dhoni put paid to those hopes.
Raina was trapped lbw by Edwards with the new ball and Harbhajan Singh (12) saw the session to a close with a confident-looking Dhoni.
