BASSETERRE (St Kitts), June 25: V.V.S. Laxman stood firm for India after West Indies fast bowler Jerome Taylor re-ignited the third Test on Sunday.

The match seemed headed towards a draw on the fourth day before Taylor took three quick wickets to reduce India, who need 382 to avoid following on, to 159 for five.

Laxman was 68 not out at lunch with India reaching 241 for six in reply to West Indies' first innings of 581. The first two Tests were drawn.

Taylor moved the ball both ways off the seam to take three for 77 from 18 overs.

India resumed on 150 for two and Taylor took his first wicket with the 11th ball of the day by trapping Rahul Dravid in front for 22.

Taylor struck twice in three balls in his next over when he had a hesitant Yuvraj Singh caught behind by wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin with an away swinger, and he dismissed Mohammad Kaif leg-before with a delivery that seemed to be missing leg stump.

Both Yuvraj and Kaif were dismissed without scoring.

Mahendra Dhoni joined Laxman and they stabilised the innings with a solid partnership of 61, before Dhoni played across the line to a ball from fast bowler Corey Collymore in the sixth over before lunch and was trapped in front for 29.

That delivery also seemed to be on its way past leg stump, but not in the opinion of umpire Brian Jerling, who had also upheld the appeal against Kaif.

On Saturday, Shivnarine Chanderpaul was stranded three runs short of a century after West Indies collapsed.

Chanderpaul was left on 97 not out when the home side tumbled from their lunchtime score of 536 for five to 581 all out eight overs into the second session of the third day.

Off spinner Harbhajan Singh ran through the lower-order, finishing with five for 147 from 44 overs.

Scoreboard

WEST INDIES (1st Innings):

C.H. Gayle b Patel 83

D. Ganga b Patel 135

R.R. Sarwan lbw b Sreesanth 116

B.C. Lara lbw b Patel 10

S. Chanderpaul not out 97

D.J.J. Bravo c Dhoni b Harbhajan 21

M.N. Samuels c Harbhajan b Sehwag 87

D. Ramdin c Wasim b Harbhajan 3

J.E. Taylor c Yuvraj b Harbhajan 2

P.T. Collins c Dravid b Harbhajan 1

C.D. Collymore b Harbhajan 0

EXTRAS (LB-14, W-1, NB-11) 26

TOTAL (all out, 170 overs) 581

FALL OF WKTS: 1-143, 2-346, 3-362, 4-371, 5-406, 6-562, 7-570, 8-576, 9-581.

BOWLING: Munaf Patel 32-4-134-3 (8nb, 1w); Sreesanth 31-8-99-1 (1nb); Kumble 47-8-140-0 (2nb); Harbhajan Singh 44-6-147-5; Sehwag 16-3-47-1.

INDIA (1st Innings, overnight 150-2):

Wasim Jaffer c Lara b Bravo 60

V. Sehwag c Lara b Collymore 31

V.V.S. Laxman not out 68

R. Dravid lbw b Taylor 22

Yuvraj Singh c Ramdin b Taylor 0

Mohammad Kaif lbw b Taylor 0

M.S. Dhoni lbw b Collymore 29

A. Kumble not out 17

EXTRAS (LB-1, NB-13) 14

TOTAL (for six wkts, 75 overs) 241

TO BAT: Harbhajan Singh, S. Sreesanth, Munaf Patel.

Fall of wkts: 1-61, 2-124, 3-157, 4-159, 5-159, 6-220.

BOWLING (to-date): Taylor 18-1-77-3; Collins 21-2-85-0 (10nb); Collymore 19-4-37-2 (2nb); Bravo 15-4-38-1 (1nb); Gayle 2-0-3-0.—Agencies