Dhoni shines as India build lead over Windies

ROSEAU, Dominica - India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni led four batsmen with half centuries that put his side in a formidable position in the third Test against West Indies on Friday.

Dhoni, a struggler for most of the series, was unbeaten on 65, propelling India to 308 for six, replying to West Indies' first innings total of 204 at stumps on the third day of the rain-hit game at Windsor Park.

Left-handed opener Abhinav Mukund supported with 62, V.V.S. Laxman scored 56 and Suresh Raina made 50.

The visitors took advantage of a West Indies attack hamstrung by an illness that sidelined fast bowler Ravi Rampaul to give their strongest batting performance of the series.

Dhoni added 103 for the sixth wicket with Raina either side of tea, taking the fire out a West Indies fightback which saw India reach 182 for five at the break.

The India captain reached his 50 from 96 balls, tapping a delivery from his opposite number Darren Sammy to mid-off for a single that also brought him his 3,000th Test run.

He has so far struck just three boundaries from 109 balls.

Raina brought his 50 up in 102 balls, working a delivery from Devendra Bishoo into square leg for a single.

But the left-hander fell in the very next over, when he was trapped lbw to Fidel Edwards in the first over with the second new ball, leaving India 275 for six. He hit three fours from 103 balls.

Earlier, Mukund and Laxman steadied India, carrying them to 102 for two lunch after losing Murali Vijay and Rahul Dravid.

Vijay's poor form on this trip continued when he was caught behind off Fidel Edwards for five, and Dravid, whose 212 runs prior to the match was a series-high, was bowled by Sammy for the same score.

India were 18 for two but Laxman joined Mukund and they batted fluently to consolidate their side's position.

Mukund reached his 50 from 132 balls, playing a delivery from Bishoo uppishly through mid-on off the back-foot for a single.

After lunch, India continued to pile on the runs and got to within sight of taking a first innings lead at tea.

However, three wickets - including Mukund and Laxman - jolted them and seemed to bring West Indies back into the game.

Mukund added 98 with Laxman either side of lunch before he was caught at forward short leg off Bishoo. He struck five fours from 149 balls.

Virat Kohli put on 52 for the fourth wicket with Laxman before he was caught behind down the leg-side off Sammy for 30.

Laxman boosted West Indian spirits when he was stumped in bizarre fashion for 56, becoming the ninth Test scalp for Shivnarine Chanderpaul, peddling his uncomplicated leg-spin.

The stylish Indian batsman struck three fours from 129 balls.

He reached his 50 from 113 balls with a pull off a short delivery from Bishoo, but he absentmindedly failed to keep his back-foot grounded, after leaving alone a delivery from Chanderpaul.

West Indies wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh effected the stumping, confirmed by the TV replay umpire.

India hold a 1-0 lead in the three-Test series, following a 63-run victory inside four days in the first Test in Jamaica and a draw in the second Test in Barbados.

The visitors are looking to wrap up their second straight Test series victory over West Indies in the Caribbean.

They are also hoping to create history by becoming the first Indian side to win a Test and one-day international series in the Caribbean.

White dropped from Aust ODI team

Batsman Cameron White has been dropped from the Australian one-day cricket squad for next month's tour of Sri Lanka.

White has retained his position as captain of the national Twenty20 team for the tour, but a poor recent run of form saw him replaced by Shaun Marsh in the ODI squad.

Marsh missed the World Cup earlier this year due to injury.

"Cameron White is unlucky to be omitted from the one-day squad, having been a regular and successful member of the squad for the last few series," said chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch.

"Cameron lost his position in the side during the recent one-day tour of Bangladesh but the (selectors) are confident that he will force his way back into the team through weight of runs."

Young Victorian paceman James Pattinson and bowling allrounder John Hastings have been included in both squads while veteran fast bowler Brett Lee retains his spot in the Twenty20 team.

The Test squad to take on Sri Lanka will be named later this month.

Dravid gives India upper hand against Windies

KINGSTON, Jamaica  Rahul Dravid survived an early chance, and batted doggedly, giving India the upper hand in the first Test against West Indies on Tuesday.

The former Indian captain was on 45 not out, as India reached 91 for three in their second innings - an overall lead of 164 - at the close on the second day of the first Test.

Fortune smiled on Dravid on six, when West Indies captain Darren Sammy dropped him at second slip off Ravi Rampaul.

Dravid kept his nerve, and defied West Indies with resolute batting, offering little or no chances for the remainder of the day.

He added 56 for the second wicket with Abhinav Mukund, fortifying India's position, after Ishant Sharma collected three for 29 from 17 overs, and fellow fast bowler Praveen Kumar three for 38 from 18 overs in his test debut, as West Indies were dismissed for 173 about 25 minutes before tea.

The visitors were short-handed in the later stages of the West Indies innings, when Kumar was barred from bowling, after running onto the protected area of the pitch.

But his team-mates adjusted well to the challenge, and outside of opener Adrian Barath, whose 64 was the top score, no other West Indies batsman made a substantial contribution.

Murali Vijay then fell early, when India batted a second time, trapped lbw playing back and across for one to a delivery from Rampaul that kept low in the second over.

Mukund was caught behind for 25, top edging a cut off Devendra Bishoo, and next over, Sammy held a return catch to dismiss V.V.S. Laxman for a duck, leaving India 57 for three.

Virat Kohli survived a late barrage of short-pitched bowling from Fidel Edwards in the closing stages, batting through the remainder of the day with Dravid to enhance India's position.

Earlier, India's bowlers were paragons of discipline, observing metronomic lines and lengths, and reaped the benefits.

Before lunch, three wickets - all to Kumar - in the final hour before the interval left West Indies reeling.

Sharma had given the visitors an early breakthrough, after West Indies continued from their overnight total of 34 for one.

He trapped Ramnaresh Sarwan lbw for three, playing forward, but offering no stroke to a delivery moving back in the second over of the day.

After India met resistance in the shape of a 56-run stand for the third wicket between Barath and Darren Bravo, Kumar went to work.

He had Barath caught behind, playing defensively to a well-pitched delivery that moved away. The diminutive opener stroked nine fours and one six from 122 balls in close to three hours.

In his next over, Kumar had Bravo also caught behind for 18, playing defensively forward, before another left-hander Brendan Nash was caught at third slip for one, leaving West Indies wobbling on 102 for five.

After lunch, Harbhajan Singh, who endured brutal punishment in the morning period, came into his own after West Indies continued from their lunch total of 119 for five.

He triggered a collapse that sent the hosts crumbling to 152 for eight in the first hour after the interval.

He had Carlton Baugh Jr caught at silly point for 27 to end a sixth-wicket partnership of 45 with veteran left-hander Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

Sharma stepped in to have Sammy bowled for one, and Harbhajan had Chanderpaul caught at forward short leg for 23, the home team losing three for five in the space of 24 balls.

Edwards joined Rampaul, and prolonged the agony before Amit Mishra quickly took both his and Bishoo's wickets to end the West Indies' innings.