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Gayle gives West Indies advantage in first test

ST JOHN'S, Antigua, June 3 (Reuters) - Aggressive batting by Chris Gayle gave West Indies the advantage on the second day of the first test against India on Saturday.

At lunch West Indies were 81 for one in reply to India's first innings 241 with Gayle on 45 with seven fours and a six. Ramnaresh Sarwan had scored 19 with four fours.

Chris Gayle in action

The pair had added 63 from 61 balls for the unbroken second wicket.

India resumed on 235 for nine and eked out six runs in 4.5 overs before they were dismissed when Munaf Patel prodded unconvincingly at a delivery from fast bowler Fidel Edwards and was bowled without scoring. Shanthakumaran Sreesanth finished with 29 not out. Edwards and medium-pacer Dwayne Bravo, who took four for 40, were the only bowlers used by West Indies captain Brian Lara on Saturday.

Fast bowler Corey Collymore took three for 27 on Friday.

Gayle signalled his intentions with the ninth ball of the West Indies' reply when he slashed a wide delivery from fast bowler Patel over the slips to register the first four of the innings.Fellow opener Daren Ganga followed suit in safer fashion in the third over with a deft cut through third man for four off Sreesanth.

India struck back in the fourth over when Patel trapped Ganga in front with an inswinger for nine.

Sarwan stroked his first boundary, a spanking straight drive off Patel, with the eighth ball he faced.

Patel, who took one for 26 from six overs, was the only Indian bowler to concede less than a run a ball.

Sreesanth went for 33 runs in his five overs, while fast bowler Vikram Singh conceded 18 from three overs.