ST. JOHN'S, Antigua (AP):

THE WEST Indies' last pair of Fidel Edwards and Corey Collymore survived 19 tense balls to earn a thrilling draw against India on the final day yesterday of the opening Test at the Antigua Recreation Ground.

The home team, set an improbable 392 to win, finished on 298 for nine as Collymore played out the last over from paceman Shanthakumaran Sreesanth.

"It was a great Test match," West Indies captain Brian Lara said. "It ebbed and flowed for three days then ebbed away from us on the fourth and fifth days. "I must commend the guys for showing a lot of character."

Edwards, batting with Daren Ganga as an advice-offering runner, faced 36 balls in an important, unbeaten knock of one run.

KEY CONTRIBUTIONS

Other key late-order contributions for the West Indies came from left-handers Ian Bradshaw (10) and Dave Mohammed (52), who occupied 63 deliveries together for the eighth wicket.

Chris Gayle (69) and Shivnarine Chanderpaul (62) boosted the home team's top order after a wobble just before lunch.

Legspinner Anil Kumble led India's charge with four for 107 from 34 overs. Sreesanth contributed the key wickets of Ramnaresh Sarwan and Lara on his way to 2-49.

Virender Sehwag also provided crucial strikes to take 2-39 with his part-time offspin.

"A fantastic Test match," India skipper Rahul Dravid said. "We were behind with our backs against the wall with three days to go and never thought we would get into this sort of position."

On a day when fortunes fluctuated, the West Indies won the early exchanges as Gayle and Ganga batted through the first hour and a half to add 67 for the first wicket.

But India hit back once Kumble dismissed Ganga (36) to a fine left-handed catch by Yuvraj Singh at short leg.

Sreesanth claimed Sarwan and Lara in successive overs as the West Indies, overnight 13 without loss, limped to lunch at 72-3.

Sarwan drove loosely outside off stump and sliced to gully on one, while Lara came too far across his stumps and was leg before wicket for a duck.

Gayle and Chanderpaul batted through the second session to seemingly set their side towards a draw as tea was taken at 158-3.

The pair of left-handers shared a stand of 99 before Gayle was lbw to Kumble just after tea.

Gayle struck nine fours and three sixes but was mainly subdued in his 69 runs which took four and a half hours. Kumble also removed Chanderpaul to a questionable edge to first slip.

FINE TOUCH

Chanderpaul was in fine touch, stroking 10 fours in 62 off 109 balls.

When Sehwag removed Dwayne Bravo and Denesh Ramdin to expose the tail, India sensed a winning chance.

Bravo edged a drifter to the wicketkeeper at 28, while Ramdin nicked a cut to first slip on eight.

Bradshaw and Mohammed came together at 226-7 with 20.5 overs still remaining.

The left-handers resisted in contrasting fashion to tilt the balance back towards a draw.

Bradshaw, compact in defence, scored 10 off 36 balls before he was unlucky to be ruled caught behind when Munaf Patel took the second new ball.

The match was swinging again at 277-8 with 10.4 overs remaining.

Mohammed played some ambitious strokes against attacking fields and his approach earned him his maiden test fifty. He hit 10 fours in 52 off 55 balls.

With a draw in sight, he played across the line and was bowled by Kumble. It left Edwards and Collymore with 19 deliveries to face, and they did so confidently with few scares.

SCOREBOARD

India first innings 241

West Indies first innings 371

India second innings 521-6 dec.

West Indies second innings

(Resumed at 13-0)

C. Gayle lbw Kumble 69

D. Ganga c Yuvraj Singh b Kumble 36

R. Sarwan c Kumble b Sreesanth 1

B. Lara lbw Sreesanth 0

S. Chanderpaul c Dravid b Kumble 62

D. Bravo c Dhoni b Sehwag 28

D. Ramdin c Dravid b Sehwag 8

I. Bradshaw c Dhoni b Patel 10

D. Mohammed b Kumble 52

F. Edwards not out 1

C. Collymore not out 1

Extras: (5b, 8lb, 17nb) 30

TOTAL: (for nine wkts - 95) 298

Fall: 1-67, 2-68, 3-72, 4-171, 5-202, 6-220, 7-226, 8-277, 9-297.

Bowling: Munaf Patel 20-4-55-1 (2nb), Shanthakumaran Sreesanth 19-10-49-2, Anil Kumble 34-8-107-4 (7nb), Vikram Singh 11-3-35-0 (7nb), Virender Sehwag 11-2-39-2 (1nb).