Ganga orchestrates fight-back but Lee keeps Australia in control

Australia 576-4 dec and 31-1 West Indies 408

Their promising young batsmen ensured the West Indies at last had the better of exchanges on the third day of the second Test here yesterday but it was merely damage limitation against Australia's daunting first innings 576 for 4 dec.

The West Indies batted all but 14 of the 90 overs to extend their overnight 186 for 3 to 408. It still left them with a deficit of 168 but ensured they would not have to follow on.

Australia lost Justin Langer for 31 at the close to go into the fourth day 199 to the good with at least 180 overs to try for their second victory in this series of four Tests.

In the absence of his captain Brian Lara, out for 91 late on the previous afternoon, Daren Ganga led the enterprising West Indies fight with 117, his second hundred in successive matches. Marlon Samuels' stylish 68 built on Ganga's fourth-wicket partnership of 75 with Ramnaresh Sarwan and the 33-year-old veteran Vasbert Drakes' swashbuckling 24 at the end ensured Australia would have to bat again.

Australia's bowlers had to work hard on an easy-paced pitch that has shown little sign of deteriorating. It took an hour and a half before Brett Lee claimed the only wicket in the first session, bursting through Sarwan's defence with a searing yorker that bowled him for 26.

Lee and Jason Gillespie struck twice with the second new ball after lunch, Lee ending Ganga's chanceless stay of five hours 26 minutes with a catch to first slip and Gillespie's perfect inswinger bowling the debutant David Bernard for seven.

Samuels and Carlton Baugh, 20, also making his debut, responded with a boisterous partnership of 67 before Baugh, cutting at leg-spinner Stuart MacGill, hit his off-stump on the stroke of tea.

When Samuels holed out to long-off, Merv Dillon was quick to follow, lbw to Gillespie for his 25th duck in Tests, but Drakes and Pedro Collins put on a valuable 24 for the last wicket.

Third day; Australia won toss

AUSTRALIA – First Innings 576 for 4 dec (R T Ponting 206, D S Lehmann 160, A C Gilchrist 101 no).

WEST INDIES – First Innings (Overnight: 186 for 3)
W W Hinds c Hayden b Lee 20
D S Smith c Gilchrist b Gillespie 0
D Ganga c Hayden b Lee 117
B C Lara b Hogg 91
R R Sarwan b Lee 26
M N Samuels c Bichel b MacGill 68
D E Bernard b Gillespie 7
C S Baugh hit wicket 19
V Drakes lbw b Lee 24
M Dillon lbw b Gillespie 0
P T Collins not out 7
Extras (b4 lb15 w2 nb8) 29
Total (119 overs) 408

Fall: 1-4 2-25 3-183 4-258 5-279 6-300 7-367 8-376 9-384.

Bowling: Lee 23-4-69-4 (2nb); Gillespie 28-9-50-3; Bichel 12-1-58-0 (3nb); MacGill 27-42-98-2; Hogg 22-3-98-1 (3nb); Waugh 7-2-16-0 (1w).

AUSTRALIA – Second Innings
J L Langer lbw b Drakes 3
M L Hayden not out 15
R T Ponting not out 10
Extras (lb2 w1) 3
Total (for 1, 14 overs) 31

Fall: 1-12

Bowling (to date): Dillon 7-0-20-0 (1w); Drakes 6-3-8-1; Samuels 1-0-1-0.

Umpires: E A R De Silva (S Lanka) and R E Koertzen (SA).