Exploiting all the pace and bounce on offer at a damp Kensington Oval, Sharma removed nightwatchman Devendra Bishoo and Ramnaresh Sarwan in the sixth over. The hosts then rallied with an unbroken 41-run fifth-wicket stand to close on 98-5, 103 runs adrift of India's first innings total. Foul weather then brought an early end. The start of play was delayed by 45 minutes after early morning showers soaked the outfield, and was then suspended after less than 13 overs when rain returned just after lunch, with bad light later ensuring there was to be no resumption even after the rain had stopped.

Already 1-0 down in the three-match Test series, West Indies sought to improve on their precarious overnight score of 30-3. But after reaching 13, Bishoo departed, fending a short-pitched ball from Sharma to Virat Kohli at gully. A more cautious Sarwan had made 18 when he was deceived by a Sharma inswinger which trapped him lbw in the same over - the 15th wicket to fall in the first four sessions.But Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Marlon Samuels - who replaced sacked vice-captain Brendan Nash - shared an unbroken stand of 41 for the sixth wicket when their progress was halted by another downpour.

On day one, India's bowlers hit back well late on after their batsmen suffered two heavy collapses in their first innings. Meanwhile, Australian umpire Daryl Harper withdrew from next week's final Test after complaints from India captain Mahendra Dhoni about his decision-making in the previous encounter which India won by 63 runs. Harper, a 59-year-old with almost two decades of experience as an international umpire, was recently dropped from the ICC's elite panel. "In the wake of some unfair criticism, Daryl informed us that he does not wish to stand in what would have been his final Test," said ICC general manager David Richardson. Englishman Richard Kettleborough will take Harper's place in Roseau.