Fast bowler Ishant Sharma grabbed a career-best 6-55 to spur India to a narrow first-innings lead over West Indies on a rain-hit day three of the second cricket test at Kensington Oval on Thursday.
West Indies, 98-5 overnight, was bowled for 190, conceding a lead of 11 runs in reply to India's first innings total of 201.
India reached 23-0 in its second innings, an overall lead of 34.
Light rain and bad light that limited play to just 42 overs throughout the day allowed just four deliveries after tea.
Earlier, Marlon Samuels provided the main resistance for the hosts with a diligent, unbeaten 78 that spanned just over four hours. The 30-year-old Jamaican struck eight fours and faced 172 deliveries.
The 22-year-old Sharma ripped through West Indies in the second session, claiming his 100th test wicket and his best-ever figures.
Sharma, at 22 years, 301 days, became the fifth-youngest bowler in test history to reach 100 wickets (behind Indian Kapil Dev, New Zealander Daniel Vettori, Pakistani Waqar Younis and teammate Harbhajan Singh).
"Obviously the 100th wicket I enjoyed. That's a memorable moment for me," he said. "For every test cricketer, the 100th wicket is always a memorable wicket for them."
Sharma explained his methods on his way to his first six-wicket haul in tests.
"I was just concentrating on bowling into the right areas and let the wicket do the talking," he said. "The wicket has a good bounce so I think it will carry on the fifth day also."
Samuels and Shivnarine Chanderpaul stretched their overnight partnership to 77 in a rain-reduced morning session,
But Chanderpaul, who scored 37 off 117 balls, was bowled by Abhimanyu Mithun off the bottom-edge just before lunch was taken at 138-6. The veteran left-hander hit one four in 169 minutes.
The hosts slipped to 143-7 soon after the break when Carlton Baugh (2) edged a drive to slip off spinner Harbhajan Singh.
Samuels found another able ally as he and captain Darren Sammy put on a further 43 for the eighth wicket.
But once Sharma claimed Sammy (15) lbw for his landmark wicket, the innings subsided and the last three wickets tumbled for four runs.
Ravi Rampaul and Fidel Edwards both fell for ducks to Sharma off consecutive deliveries to bring a swift conclusion to the innings.
Rampaul sparred a short ball to gully while Edwards fended a leg-side catch to the wicketkeeper.
India openers Abhinav Mukund and Murali Vijay survived five overs before steady rain brought an early tea interval.
Play restarted late in the day but only four deliveries were possible before more showers and bad light finally put paid to the action.
