Shivnarine Chanderpaul and skipper Carl Hooper cracked robust unbeaten half-centuries to put the West Indies in a strong position against India in the third Test here on Friday.

The left-handed Chanderpaul was batting on 75 and Hooper on 70 as the West Indies posted an impressive 314-4 at stumps on the second day in reply to India's 102 at the Kensington Oval.

The hosts, trailing 1-0 in the five-Test series, were 212 runs ahead with six wickets in hand as their batting flourished throughout the day. They scored 281 after resuming at 33-1.

Chanderpaul smashed 12 fours in his 25th Test half-century and Hooper 10 in his 28th to thrive on a mediocre Indian attack.

Chanderpaul initially dominated a 153-run stand for the unbroken fifth wicket with Hooper, who grew in confidence after a slow start.

The pair dashed India's hopes of bouncing back into the match with a vigorous counter-attack after fast bowler Ashish Nehra had dismissed well-set Brian Lara (55) and Ramnaresh Sarwan (60) off successive overs.

Lara and Sarwan steadied the innings with a 119-run stand for the third wicket after opener Chris Gayle's departure in the second over of the day, while Chanderpaul consolidated his team's position with Hooper.

Hooper survived a close run-out chance when on 15 as he got the benefit of the doubt from the TV umpire after Nehra had deflected a Sarwan straight-drive onto the stumps at the non-striker's end.

India skipper Sourav Ganguly struggled to find his wicket-taking bowlers despite taking the second new ball after 80 overs at 220.

Ganguly persisted with his trio of pacemen for a major part of the day, but none was consistent enough to keep pressure on the West Indian batsmen on a pitch getting better for batting with each session.

Veteran fast bowler Javagal Srinath went wicketless as he often erred in line and length, conceding 72 off 26 overs. Nehra and Zaheer could bowl just one impressive spell.

Top off-spinner Harbhajan Singh failed to find rhythm and resorted to

negative line of attack outside the leg-stump for a couple of overs before being spoken to by Sri Lankan umpire Asoka de Silva in the last session.

SCOREBOARD

Scoreboard on the second day of the third Test between the West Indies and India at the Kensington Oval here on Friday:

Lara c and b Nehra 55

Hooper not out 70

Chanderpaul not out 75

Extras: (nb-12, lb-7, b-3) 22

Total (for 4 wkts) 314

Fall of wickets: 1-30, 2-35, 3-154, 4161

BOWLING O M R W

Srinath 26 6 72 0

Nehra 25 7 76 2

INDIA: First innings 102 (S Ganguly 48, M Dillon 4-41, A Sanford 3-20)

WEST INDIES: First innings (overnight 33-1)

Williams c Jaffer b Zaheer 18 Gayle lbw b Zaheer 14 Sarwan c Jaffer b Nehra 60

Zaheer 23 8 67 2

Ganguly 7 5 9 0

Harbhajan 27.4 6 73 0

Tendulkar 1 0 7 0

Umpires: Asoka de Silva (Sri) and

Daryl Harper (Aus)

Match-referee: Ranjan Madugalle