By T.R. Ramakrishnan

St John's (Antigua), June 5 (IANS) After some fine new-ball bowling by Munaf Patel and VRV Singh kept the West Indian first innings lead down to 130, Wasim Jaffer (113 batting) scored his second century in four Tests and led India to a second innings total of 215 for 2.

That left India 85 runs ahead, eight wickets in hand, with two days of play left. An intriguing situation, that leaves both teams in a position to go for a win. The first session on Monday will be crucial. Full marks, then, to India then for reaching such a situation after their shoddy batting on Friday.

One of the many attractions of Test match cricket is that there is always a "next time around". One early bad effort need not necessarily condemn a team to defeat. There is time to come back. And whether or not it does indeed do that, reflects the true strength and character of the team.

After its dismal 241 in the first innings, this is the test this Indian team will have to pass if it wants to have a successful series. On day three of the first Test at the Antigua Recreation Ground, it took the first steps towards achieving that.

First, the bowlers did a commendable job as India dismissed the last four West Indian batsmen for 54 runs in 16 overs. Patel and VRV Singh, with the second new ball, bowled fast and with some bite. Both hit the length which coach Greg Chappell keeps talking about, and got the ball to rear at the batsmen.

Debutant Singh consistently bowled above 85 mph and deserved his two wickets. Both his victims, Ian Bradshaw and Fidel Edwards, were forced to fend off their throats and spooned easy catches.

The batsmen, with Wasim Jaffer in the vanguard, followed up solidly. The 28-year-old Mumbai right-hander had a few streaky shots in the beginning, twice edging Bradshaw through the slips. But he settled in, and played a near flawless knock. There were drives and cuts, and flicks, fine and square, and his score kept mounting. His 50 came with a powerfully struck off-drive off Bravo, which went through Collymore, to the extra-cover boundary.

As the Indian innings progressed on a wicket which had eased completely, Lara went defensive. Fidel Edwards had left the field with a hamstring problem in the 11 th over and Lara's strike options were reduced. He had his quicks bowl outside the off-stump to 7-2 fields.

Jaffer's boundaries dried up. He progressed from 79 to 98 in ones and twos, without showing any signs of impatience, and then, when Bradshaw pitched a half-volley wide outside the off-stump, he just bent down and lashed it square to the point boundary. Seven men couldn't stop that.

It was a fitting way for Jaffer to reach his hundred (188 balls, 11 fours). He struck the ball so sweetly that he didn't bother running. He turned and raised his arms to his team-mates in the pavilion, and then turned around again to accept his captain's congratulations.

Rahul Dravid (batting 21, 73 balls) had joined Jaffer at 147, when VVS Laxman threw his wicket away, and the pair batted sensibly through 28 overs, denying Lara's men a further breakthrough.

Laxman, when he got out, was looking at his sublime best, two delectable boundaries showing his confidence. But he then went for a wild heave off left-arm Dave Mohammed and skied an easy catch to mid-on.

Laxman had made 31, 10 fewer than opener Virender Sehwag, who too looked set for a big score. He survived a torrid spell from Edwards, who tested him with short-pitched deliveries to his body, but then edged tamely to first slip where Chris Gayle juggled with the ball before holding it.

The match is not safe yet. It was a good day, but as coach Chappell said at the end, "We need another good day tomorrow."