Sachin Tendulkar missed out on yet another opportunity to record his 100th international ton as India suffered a dramatic collapse to be 151 for four at tea, giving West Indies a slight edge on day two of the first cricket Test here today.
Replying to the West Indies' 304 all out, the hosts were placed at 151 for four in their first innings with Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh batting on 18 and 22 respectively.
The four wickets India lost in the second session undid much of the good work Pragyan Ojha did early in the morning with his maiden five-wicket haul, which hastened the West Indies' collapse at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium.
In reply, India openers Virender Sehwag (55 off 46 balls; 7x4) and Gautam Gambhir (41 off 41; 7x4) provided the early fireworks with an 89-run partnership in just 12.3 overs, but the latter's dismissal triggered a collapse that saw the hosts lose four wickets for an addition of just 31 runs.
West Indies skipper Darren Sammy got a finger to Sehwag's booming straight drive and the ball went on to hit the stumps on the bowler's end, catching Gambhir well short of the crease.
If luck played a part in Gambhir's dismissal, Sehwag's wicket was bizarre. The batsman's right foot was in the air while he was trying to work the ball around his hip off leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo, and wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh clipped the bails off in no time.
That brought Tendulkar to crease, but Kotla was stunned into silence in a matter of 25 minutes as the champion batsman made his way back to the dressing room after being rapped on the pads by Fidel Edwards.
Credit must go to Sammy, who brought in his most lethal bowler after Tendulkar's arrival. Edwards looked hostile during that spell and returned with measly figures of five for one in five quick overs.
Tendulkar was followed by Laxman who was caught behind off Bishoo -- the most successful of the West Indian bowlers, returning figures of two for 35.