Opener Abhinav Mukund hit his maiden Test half-century as India overcame early blows to reach 102 for two at lunch on day three of the third cricket Test against the West Indies on Friday.
Mukund was batting on 52 and VVS Laxman was giving him company on 30 as the duo added 84 runs for the undefeated third wicket to lift India from a depressing 18 for two.
The visitors, trailing by 102 runs, were in complete control on a benign pitch and against an attack which operated without lead bowler Ravi Rampaul due to an upset stomach.
India, resuming at eight for no loss, lost Murali Vijay (5) and Rahul Dravid (5) after adding just 10 runs to the overnight score at Windsor Park.
Vijay was nearly bowled off a low full toss in Fidel Edwards` first over, squeezing the ball between the slip cordon for a four, but his tendency to push at the ball once again proved his undoing.
In Edwards` next over, a delivery took the edge of his bat on way to wicket-keeper Carlton Baugh`s gloves.
The Tamil Nadu opener is in the middle of a wretched run of scores, the sequence of his five innings in the series reading 8,0,11,3 and 1.
Dravid then fell to Darren Sammy, making the normally passive West Indian captain roar in triumph as he hasn`t done at any stage in this series.
Dravid played for an away movement at the delivery which kept coming straight and went between bat and pad to rattle the stumps.
Mukund and Laxman, the left-right combination, then gradually found their moorings as the hosts wilted under a hot son and a placid pitch.
There were not many fours hit but runs came at a fair clip as Indians looked to consolidate for a profitable day ahead.
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