Bridgetown (Barbados), July 1 (IANS) Lanky fast bowler Ishant Sharma picked up career best six for 55 as India finished the third day of the second cricket Test with a slender first lead of 34 runs against the West Indies here Thursday.
Sharma, who also became the fifth youngest bowler to pick up 100 Test wickets, restricted the West Indies to 190 in reply to India’s 201. Only compatriot Kapil Dev, New Zealand’s Daniel Vettori, Pakistan’s Waqar Younis and teammate Harbhajan Singh were younger than Sharma when they took their 100th Test wicket.
At stumps, India were 23 for one with Abhinav Mukund batting on eight and Murali Vijay three.
The day was again marred with rain and the news of India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni erroneously dismissed in the first innings due to a goof-up by the host broadcaster.
India, however, did at least have the satisfaction of taking a slender first-innings lead.
Resuming at overnight 98 for five, West Indies fought back with Marlon Samuels, who top scored with a gutsy 78. The come-back man, however, didn’t get much support as the last three wickets fell for only four runs.
The only worthwhile partnership was the 36-run stand between overnight batsmen Shivnarine Chanderpaul (37) and Samuels.
But once Chanderpaul departed, chopping an Abhinav Mukund delivery onto his stumps, West Indies lost wickets at regular intervals.
Samuels played a fearless 172-ball innings hitting eight fours and with skipper Darren Sammy (15) offered a late resistance with their 43-run stand, but Sharma bowled brilliantly to wipe up the tail by picking the last three wickets for just four runs.
India have never won two Tests in a series in the Caribbean and the third and the final match is scheduled for July 6-10 in Dominica.
