Das' Form Fades Further

India opener Shiv Sunder Das has just one more match to find his form in England before the first Test at Lord's next week.

Das, who scratched around for 155 painstaking minutes and 112 balls for just 29 runs in the first innings, fared even worse second time around as he was out first ball against West Indies A at Arundel.

He flicked at a delivery down the legside from Reon King and was caught by wicketkeeper Keith Hibbert as India began their second innings 13 runs behind after dismissing the West Indians for 266.

Das now has only the match against Hampshire, starting on Saturday, to get among the runs before facing England although his selection for the first Test looks assured.

Fellow opening specialist Wasim Jaffer, who was flown in with Das last week to supplement India's one-day squad for the Test, fared better at the second attempt after spending 14 overs scoring just five runs in the first innings.

He batted comfortably and finished the day on 43 not out as India moved to 87 for three, a lead of 74 with seven wickets and one day remaining.

Sanjay Bangar, lbw to Jermaine Lawson for 27 and Ajay Ratra caught for eight off left-arm spinner Ryan Hinds by substitute fielder Tino Best, called on when Lendl Simmons took over behind the stumps after Hibbert suffered a shoulder injury, were the other men to join Das in the pavilion.

Earlier, Test bowlers Ajit Agarkar and Harbhajan Singh got among the wickets as India dismissed the West Indians for 266 after declaring at their overnight score of 253 for seven.

Agarkar bowled well to finish with four for 55 off 16 overs, a haul which would have been higher if his team-mates had held their catches.

Harbhajan took four for 79 after he wrapped up the West Indies innings to compensate for the mauling he suffered as they went on an afternoon run spree.

His first spell from Arundel's Castle End cost him 50 runs from just five overs but he returned to keep his side's hopes intact.

Following the go-slow India innings on the first day, Dwayne Bravo and Hinds entertained the crowd with a sparkling fifth-wicket stand of 101 in 17 overs as the West Indians plundered the runs in the sun.

Bravo hit the only six of the match so far as he went down on one knee to sweep Harbhajan over the legside boundary rope.

His 50, which also included eight fours and came off just 46 balls, was completed as he smashed another delivery from the spinner to the offside boundary and he celebrated by hitting the next ball through the legside for four.

A boundary by Hinds took the score past 200 in only the 44th over and his 50, which included five fours, came off 86 balls.

Their partnership ended at 101 when Harbhajan reaped his revenge as Bravo, dropping to one knee to try and repeat the sweep, mistimed his shot and was out lbw.

Hinds went for 62, top-edging an easy catch to wicketkeeper Ratra off the bowling of Agarkar.

He had begun the day well, having opener Daren Ganga caught by Ratra for just four before trapping Donovan Pagon lbw for a duck as the first two Windies wickets fell for just 25.

But 20-year-old left-handed opener Devon Smith made the most of his good fortune to make an enterprising 69 before his luck finally expired when he was run out in bizarre circumstances.

Smith, who had seen a top-edge shot flash shoulder high between the slips as well as being dropped by Ratra, whose performance behind the stumps left much to be desired, and skipper VVS Laxman, was finally out after being dropped again, this time by Jaffer in the gully.

He looked to have survived when Harbhajan missed his shy at the stumps as Smith tried to capitalise on the dropped catch with a single but Agarkar snatched up the ball and whipped off the bails to take a tight run-out decision from umpire Nigel Llong.