Australia were poised to seize a match-winning innings lead after grabbing the coveted wicket of stricken Brian Lara late on the third day of the third Test at Kensington Oval here on Saturday.

Lara left his sick bed and came in at number eight to try and get the West Indies past the follow-on, but he was out controversially five overs from stumps for 14.

Young wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh was caught bat-pad four balls from the end to leave the West Indies 291 for eight and still 314 runs behind Australia's mammoth first innings declaration of 605 for nine with two days remaining.

The West Indies have to score another 115 runs with two wickets left to avoid being sent into bat again on a backbreaking docile pitch.

The Australian bowlers toiled all day to break down the West Indies resistance on the unresponsive wicket, while Lara stayed in his hotel room resting from a high temperature and reports of suspected chicken pox.

His arrival at the wicket was

greeted by a huge roar from the home crowd and he resisted the Australian attack for almost 80 minutes and 55 balls before he fell to a dubious leg before decision given quickly by Indian umpire

Srinivas Venkataraghaven.

Andy Bichel's low skidding delivery appeared on television replays to take an inside edge off his bat on to his back pad, but to his astonishment Lara was given out.

Lara had a life on nine when Ponting put down a hot twohanded chance at second slip off Jason Gillespie.

The home team then suffered another body blow when Baugh prodded forward to Stuart MacGill and popped a catch to Ricky Ponting close in at bat-pad to be out for 24 in 104 minutes.

Gillespie was Australia's bowling star with the impressive figures of 3-31 off 21 overs with nine maidens, while MacGill, getting prodigious turn off the dead track, claimed 2-95 off 31.2 overs.

Glenn McGrath, the 422-Test wicket campaigner and who has snared Lara's wicket 13 times in 18 previous Tests, went wicketless throughout Saturday, but was economical all the same with 0-25 off 18 overs.

Australia have already retained the Frank Worrell Trophy after wins in the opening two Tests and a victory here will ensure they take over from South Africa at the top of the ICC Test Championship.

The lifeless wicket made it torrid going for batsmen and bowlers but the Australians made a doublewicket breakthrough before tea to get a crack at the middle order.

They grabbed the key wickets of Daren Ganga and Shivnarine Chanderpaul to have the home side 210 for four at tea.

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Ganga, who scored centuries in the first two Tests in the series, fell to a full toss by spinner Darren Lehmann in the 77th over.

He spooned an easy catch to Bichel at mid-on and was out for 26, eked out in 130 minutes off 89 balls with two fours.

That ended a stubborn 63-run stand for the third wicket with vicecaptain Ramnaresh Sarwan.

Chanderpaul, who clubbed a 69-ball century in the first Test, only lasted one ball before he was out to a rank long-hop from MacGill.

He top-edged an attempted pull shot down the ground to Brett Lee who took a two-handed tumbling catch to dismiss him for a duck and leave the Windies 206 for four.

After tea, Sarwan edged a Lee outswinger to wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist for 40 and Test debutant Omari Banks found Ponting at second slip off Gillespie for a bright 24 off 40 balls opening the way for Lara's arrival at the crease.

Lara was struck down just a week after fast bowler Jermaine Lawson was forced out of the second Test in Port of Spain last week with chicken pox.

Gillespie claimed the wickets of opening batsmen Chris Gayle and Devon Smith in six balls in the morning session.

SCOREBOARD

Scoreboard at close of play on the third day of the third Test between West Indies and Australia at Kensington Oval on Saturday:

AUSTRALIA: First innings 605 for 9 declared (S Waugh 115, R Ponting 113, D Lehmann 96; J Lawson 3131, O Banks 3-204)

WEST INDIES: First innings (overnight 89-0)

Gayle b Gillespie 71

Smith c Gilchrist b Gillespie 59

Ganga c Bichel b Lehmann 26

Sarwan c Gilchrist b Lee 40

Chanderpaul c Lee b MacGill 0

Banks c Ponting b Gillespie 24

Baugh c Ponting b MacGill 24

Lara lbw b Bichel 14

Drakes not out 4

Extras: (b-6, lb-12, nb-11) 29

Total: (For 8 wkts in 112.2 overs) 291

Fall of wickets: 1-139, 2-142, 3-205, 4-206, 5-245, 6-245, 7-281, 8-291

To bat: Best, Lawson

Bowler O M R W

McGrath 18 7 25 0

Gillespie 21 9 31 3

Lee 20 6 68 1

MacGill 31.2 3 95 2

Lehmann 9 2 26 1

Bichel 13 2 28 1