Mumbai, Nov 24: India made a strong reply to West Indies’ first innings score of 590 on Day 3 of the Mumbai Test being played here at the Wankhede Stadium. Powered by half-centuries from Gautam Gambhir (55), Rahul Dravid (82) and Sachin Tendulkar (67*), India ended Day 3 of the final Test match against the visitors at 281 for three.

Earlier, the hosts finally put an end to the visitors’ innings when R Ashwin knocked over Devendra Bishoo’s (12) stumps off the first ball of the fourth over of the morning. That allowed the offspinner to complete his second five-wicket haul in this series with the West Indies having added another 15 runs to their overnight score of 575.

India had a brisk start with Virender Sehwag striking 37 runs from just 50 deliveries. Darren Sammy inevitably gave the visitors their first breakthrough by bowling Sehwag 20 minutes before the lunch interval. India went in to lunch at 74 for the loss of Sehwag’s wicket.

Gautam Gambhir survived a dropped catch in the post-lunch session when Kirk Edwards, standing at first slip, failed to get his fingers around an edge off Sammy’s bowling. Gambhir, who was on 31 then, made another 24 runs to bring up his second half-century of the series. However, just as he was beginning to look good for a big score, Gambhir threw his bat at a Ravi Rampaul bouncer only managing to nick the delivery to wicketkeeper Carton Baugh. India were on 138 for two at the fall of Gambhir’s wicket.

Rahul Dravid, who came in at the fall of Sehwag’s wicket, showed some quick thinking just before the tea break as he booted away a ball that spun back viciously towards his stumps after he had defended it. Barring that freak episode, Dravid look solid in his innings of 82. The Indian legend went past the 13,000-run mark in Test cricket and the 1,000 run mark (1034 in all) in Tests in 2011 during the innings. However, Dravid missed out on the opportunity to bring up his sixth Test century of the year when Marlon Samuels produced a delivery that beat his bat and kissed the off-stump an hour into the post-tea session.

India suffered no further damage as Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman both enjoyed reprieves during the course of their unbeaten 57-run partnership. With the Indian score at 261 for three, Laxman tried to casually pull a Darren Sammy delivery only managing to top edge the delivery in the vacant gap between gully and extra cover. Five deliveries later, Carlton Baugh failed to hold on to a thick edge form Tendulkar’s bat off Devendra Bishoo’s bowling.

The hosts finally ended the day on 281 for three, trailing the West Indies score by 309 runs. Sachin Tendulkar (67*) and VVS Laxman (32*) were holding fort at stumps with the Little Master’s hundredth ton tantalisingly close.

Brief scores:

At end of Day 3: West Indies 1st innings 590 all out in 181.0 overs (Darren Bravo 166, Kirk Edwards 86, R Ashwin 5/156); India 1st innings 281/3 in 80.0 overs (Rahul Dravid 82, Sachin Tendulkar 67*, Ravi Rampaul 1/42)

At end of Day 2: West Indies 1st innings 575/9 in 184.1 overs (Darren Bravo 166, Kirk Edwards 86, R Ashwin 4/154)

At end of Day 1: West Indies 1st innings 267/2 in 91.0 overs (Kraigg Brathwaite 68, Kirk Edwards 65*, R Ashwin 2/86)