The West Indies Shivnarine Chanderpaul cuts on his way to 97 not out against India in the third Test at Warner Park, St. Kitts yesterday. Looking on is Indian keeper Mahendra Dhoni. – Dellmar

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (Reuters):

SHIVNARINE CHANDERPAUL was stranded three runs short of a century after West Indies collapsed in the third Test against India yesterday.

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.

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

At the close India were 150 for two in reply after opener Wasim Jaffer had scored 60 with 10 boundaries.

The West Indies' slide started in the third over after lunch when Marlon Samuels heaved a ball from offspinner Virender Sehwag to midwicket where Harbhajan took the catch.

Samuels had faced 159 balls and hit eight fours and three sixes for his 87. His dismissal ended a sixth-wicket stand of 156 with Chanderpaul.

TIGHT BOWLING

Chanderpaul was 84 not out when Samuels was dismissed and his remaining 13 runs were made up of a two and 11 singles as the Indians restricted him with tight bowling and sharp fielding.

The wickets tumbled at the other end of the pitch in the chase for quick runs and the innings ended comically when Corey Collymore shouldered arms to a delivery from Harbhajan and was bowled for a duck as the ball went between his legs to reach his stumps.

Chanderpaul and Samuels had earlier faced few challenges and taken fewer risks in a wicketless morning session that yielded 116 runs in the 37 overs bowled before lunch.

The runs trickled rather than flowed and between them Harbhajan and Sehwag bowled three consecutive maidens in the last four overs before lunch.

Chanderpaul faced 216 balls and hit six fours and two sixes in a cautious innings.

Fast bowler Collymore struck back for West Indies, getting Sehwag caught by Brian Lara at second slip for 31 to end India's opening stand at 61.

An hour before the close medium-pacer Dwayne Bravo drew Jaffer into a drive and the ball flew to captain Brian Lara at second slip.

The first two Tests in the four-match series were drawn.

SCOREBOARD

West Indies first innings (Resumed at 420-5)

S. Chanderpaul not out 97

M. Samuels c H. Singh b Sehwag 87

D. Ramdin c Jaffer b H. Singh 3

J. Taylor c Y. Singh b H. Singh 2

P. Collins c Dravid b H. Singh 1

C. Collymore b H. Singh 0

Extras (lb-14 nb-11 w-1) 26

Total (all out - 170 overs) 581

Fall: 1-143 2-346 3-356 4-371 5-406 6-562 7-570 8-576 9-581

10-581

Bowling: M. Patel 32 - 5 - 134 - 3 (nb-8 w-1), S. Sreesanth 31-8-99-1 (nb-1), A. Kumble 47-8-140- 0 (nb-2), H. Singh 44-6-147-5, V. Sehwag 16-3-47-1.

India first innings

W. Jaffer c Lara b Bravo 60

V. Sehwag c Lara b Collymore 31

V. Laxman not out 28

R. Dravid not out 20

Extras (lb-1 nb-10) 11

Total (for two wkts - 46 overs) 150

Fall: 1-61 2-124

Bowling: J. Taylor 12 - 1 - 58 - 0, P. Collins 13 - 1 - 54 - 0 (nb-7), C. Collymore 10 - 2 - 19 - 1 (nb-2), D. Bravo 9-4-15-1 (nb-1), C. Gayle 2-0-3-0.