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West Indies face tough task in second India Test

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The tourists, following on after conceding a 478-run lead, batted better in their second innings to reach 116-1 at tea, with opener Adrian Barath (62 not out) and Kirk Edwards (43 not out) at the crease.

The West Indies now trail by 362 runs with nine wickets in hand.

Barath and Edwards put on 93 for the unfinished second-wicket stand after the early dismissal of Kraigg Brathwaite (nine), caught behind off paceman Umesh Yadav. Barath has so far hit 10 fours in his third Test half-century.

The Indian bowlers called the shots in the morning session as the West Indies could add just 119 runs in 36 overs after resuming at 34-2, with left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha finishing with 4-64.

Yadav, who took one wicket on Tuesday, struck twice in the morning to finish with 3-23 in only his second Test match, while off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin bagged 2-49.

Darren Bravo top-scored with 30 in a dismal West Indies batting performance in the first innings on the Eden Gardens pitch offering turn and bounce to spinners.

Ashwin and Ojha did the early damage when they took one wicket each before Yadav jolted the West Indies by removing Bravo and Marlon Samuels (25) in successive overs.

Ojha struck in the fifth over of the day when he trapped Kirk Edwards (16) leg-before for his 50th Test victim in 13 matches after the batsman had added only four runs to his overnight score of 12.

Ashwin, who got married a day before the Test started, captured a big wicket in his opening over when he removed in-form Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who was also trapped leg-before.

Chanderpaul, who scored 118 and 47 in the opening Test, could contribute just four runs this time.

Bravo and Samuels played some attacking shots during their 46-run stand for the fifth wicket before falling in the space of seven runs to leave their team struggling at 99-6.

Skipper Darren Sammy tried to counter-attack but did not last long, caught behind off Ojha immediately after smashing the spinner for a straight six. He hit one six and two fours in his 14-ball 18.

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2011

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2011