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Khan burst puts India in command

Fast bowler Zaheer Khan ran though the West Indies middle-order for a career-best four-wicket haul to give India a 300-run first-innings lead in the first test on Friday.

The visiting side, led by a quickfire 40 from opener Wavell Hinds, cut the deficit by 91 runs with nine wickets still standing at the end of the third day, needing another 210 to avoid an innings defeat.

Khan's three-over burst between lunch and tea, when he also dismissed danger man Carl Hooper for a breezy 23, gave the Indians the opportunity to push for a win as West Indies were dismissed for 157 in reply to the home team's first-innings 457.

Khan's second-session figures were 7-1-20-3 in an overall analysis of four for 41 from 16 overs.

India skipper Saurav Ganguly enfored the follow-on but his bowlers had less success in the final session as Hinds and Chris Gayle went for their shots.

Jamaican Hinds, who had hit 113 against India to help West Indies win a deciding fifth test at Kingston earlier this year, hit paceman Javagal Srinath for three consecutive boundaries through the leg side and then hit medium-pacer Sanjay Bangar to the mid-wicket fence three timesin one over to bring up the West Indies 50 off 54 balls.

But off-spinner Harbhajan Singh foxed Hinds in the air and bowled him around his legs with a ball pitching outside well leg stump.

His departure slowed the scoring but Gayle (34 not out) and 22-year-old Ramnaresh Sarwan (nine not out) reached the close without further mishap.

CRUCIAL DAMAGE

West Indies had suffered in their first innings due to a more sedate approach against India's spin duo of Singh and leg-break Anil Kumble on a slow wicket.

Kumble, India's most successful current bowler, finished with four for 51 to take his career tally to 337. But it was Zaheer who did the crucial damage.

The Baroda bowler, who turned 24 last week, first had Hooper hook a rising ball straight to Bangar at fine-leg and then got left-hander Ryan Hinds lbw with an express delivery that pitched on middle stump.

The West Indies had pinned their hopes on their captain in his 100th test but Hooper, who made a total of 579 runs in his team's 2-1 test series win over India in the Caribbean earlier this year, contributed only 23.

Khan got his fourth wicket when captain Saurav Ganguly took a fine catch diving forward at cover to dismiss Ridley Jacobs for a four-ball duck. Khan's previous best of four for 76 had come against Sri Lanka at Kandy last year.

Only left-hander Shivnarine Chanderpaul put up any resistance with a 159-ball knock of 54, including five boundaries, for his 28th test half-century.

He drove Kumble for a straight four and then pulled off-spinner Harbhajan to the mid-wicket fence in a 22-run stand with Mahendra Nagamootoo, who scored only nine but hung on for 64 minutes.

Nagamootoo was dismissed on the stroke of tea, caught off Kumble at fine-leg by Harbhajan. Kumble then got Pedro Collins lbw for a first-ball duck with a faster ball and took a return catch diving to his right to dismiss Chanderpaul and wrap up the innings.

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