India's Wasim Jaffer drinks water as teammate Virender Sehwag watches during a refreshment break on the fifth and final day of the third Test match against the West Indies in Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis yesterday. - REUTERS
basseterre,st kitts, (reuters)
RAHUL DRAVID, VIRENDER Sehwag, Wasim Jaffer and VVS Laxman scored half-centuries to steer India to a draw in the third test against West Indies yesterday.
India, needing an unlikely 392 to win, were 298 for four when stumps were drawn on the fifth and final day.
Earlier, the home side declared on 172 for six after eight overs of play in the morning.
The first two tests in the four-match series also ended in a draw.
Dravid top-scored with an unbeaten 68, having shared a third-wicket stand of 100 with Laxman (63).
Captain Dravid's innings took him to 8,900 runs in test cricket, putting him joint sixth with England's Graham Gooch on the list of all-time leading run-scorers.
West Indies squandered an opportunity to separate the openers and put pressure on India in the fourth over of their second innings.
DROPPED CHANCE
The chance came when Chris Gayle at first slip dropped a straightforward catch after Sehwag, on five, edged a swinging delivery from fast bowler Jerome Taylor.
India went to lunch on 117 without loss but were shaken out of their comfort zone when fast bowler Corey Collymore trapped Sehwag in front for 65 with the first ball of the second session.
Jaffer had scored 54 when he drove at an inswinger from left-arm seamer Pedro Collins and edged low to Gayle at first slip.
India might have slipped to 181 for three in the eighth over before tea but leg slip Dwayne Bravo dropped a difficult chance offered by Laxman, on 39, off the bowling of off-spinner Marlon Samuels.
Earlier, Daren Ganga struck an unbeaten 66 for West Indies to add to his 135 from the first innings.Leg spinner Anil Kumble took three for 60.
The fourth test starts on Friday at Sabina Park in Kingston.
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