India and West Indies 0-0 after 3 test matches

Basseterre, St Kitts, June 27 (UNI) The third test between India and West Indies today ended in a draw here at St Kitts.

The four match series is 0-0 after three matches.

Chasing a target of 392 to win in the last innings India were 298 for 4 at stumps on day five. West Indies made 581 in the first innings and India replied with 362.

Lara chose to bat even when India was short of avoiding and West Indies declared at 172 for 6 in the second innings.

After West Indies decided not to enforce follow on, a draw was most likely result and it happened so. But there were moments in the match when India gave it a real chase, but they dropped guards soon and the end result was a tame draw.

It was an exciting first session in which 168 runs were scored.

From their overnight score of 113 run for 4 wickets, West Indies batted for another 8 overs in the day and added 59 runs in 8 overs.

Darren Ganga remained not out on 66 runs of 75 balls that included six hits to the fence.

Samuels also made a quick 20 to set a challenging target.

Indian coach Greg Chappell had hinted yesterday that whatever the target is it was best to go chase it rather than play for a draw as that would put more pressure on his batsmen.

Sehwag and Jaffer began in right earnest. Jaffer has been in good form in the series and played with ease rotating the strike. But it was Virender Sehwag who lived a charmed life and yet found enough boundaries to send West Indies skipper Brian Lara to the lunch table with some ceases on his forehead.

Sehwag was let off twice in the innings so far. First in the fourth over as he edged Taylor to slips but Gayle at first slip dropped an easy chance. Seeing that Sehwag was going for the target, Brian Lara took more protection on the off side. He also set an interesting field position, putting a man each at short cover and short extra cover to latch on to anything that Sehwag plays in air. Sehwag has a tendency to play uppishly in the cover region and Lara's ploy almost succeeded when on 56 Viru hit Bravo in the air. But Sarwan at short extra cover couldn't catch hold to the powerful drive and Sehwag was let off once again.

In between these twe chances Sehwag flourished and regularly pierced a strongly guarded off side boundary. He scored 65 runs in 74 balls with 8 fours by lunch. Jaffer was batting on 35 off 83 deliveries.

West Indies struck the first ball after lunch to remove Virender Sehwag. India's hope of outside chance depended on Sehwag. But Sehwag was out lbw to Collymore in the first ball after lunch for 65. VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid batted the rest of the session without losing their wickets as one more test looks heading for a draw.

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