GROS ISLET, St Lucia (CMC):

OPENER VIRENDER Sehwag hit a big century and left-arm fast bowler Pedro Collins claimed his 100th Test wicket to share honours on the first day of the second Digicel Test between West Indies and India at Beausejour Stadium yesterday.

Sehwag's impressive 180, in which he narrowly missed out on becoming the fifth batsman in Test history to score a century before lunch on the first day of a Test, gave India the initiative, piloting the visitors to 361 for four at the close after they won the toss.

Captain Rahul Dravid was also within sight of a hundred, ending the day unbeaten on 95 to maintain India's advantage in spite of a four-wicket haul from Collins.

Collins, playing his first Test in more than a year, grabbed four wickets for 75 runs off 20 overs on a lifeless pitch on which his teammates struggled to make an impression. When he bowled left-hander Yuvraj Singh midway into the final session, it was his 100th Test wicket and fourth of the innings.

Collins had just removed the dangerous Sehwag with a return catch on the second attempt after the batsman failed to handle a lifting ball. It ended an innings that included 20 fours and two sixes off 190 balls in 286 minutes' batting.

Sehwag was involved in an opening stand of 159 with Wasim Jaffer who made 43 and added 139 with Dravid for the fourth wicket after a double-strike from Collins after lunch.

COLLINS STRIKES

After Sehwag reached his 12th Test hundred in the first over after lunch, Collins broke the first wicket stand by having Jaffer caught at first slip by Dwayne Bravo as the batsman attempted a drive.

Two runs later, V.V.S. Laxman, flashing at Collins, edged a catch to wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin.

Sehwag, who gave a low, difficult chance to Chris Gayle at mid-wicket off Jerome Taylor when he was on 100, had slowed considerably in the pre-tea session after blazing his way to 99 off 75 balls at lunch.

Sehwag was most devastating just before the hour mark when he smashed Dwayne Bravo for 20 runs in four balls which were dispatched for two sixes and two fours. The first six, lifted over extra-cover, raised Sehwag's half-century off 33 balls. The second six was hit over long-on.

The West Indies managed to contain the flow of runs in the period leading up to lunch after the first hour produced 81 runs from 12 overs. At that stage, Sehwag was on 65.

With Collins in the course of a good second spell, the session before tea had 90 runs, which would have satisfied West Indies after the early fireworks.

Dravid, assured from the beginning, played a captain's knock to move within five runs of his 23rd Test century. His near four-hour innings contained 13 boundaries off 158 balls.

In an extended final session, India scored 131 runs in losing two wickets. West Indies made two changes from the team that played in the drawn first Test at the Antigua Recreation Ground. Fast bowlers Collins and Jerome Taylor took the places of left-arm wrist spinner Dave Mohammed and injured pacer Fidel Edwards, while India's only change was left-arm fast bowler Irfan Pathan replacing injured pacer Shantha Sreesanth.

India first innings

W. Jaffer c Bravo b Collins 43

V. Sehwag c&b Collins 180

V.V.S. Laxman c Ramdin b Collins 0

R. Dravid not out 95

Y. Singh b Collins 2

M. Kaif not out 18

Extras: (b4, lb7, w3, nb9) 23

TOTAL: (for four wkts - 85 overs) 361

Fall: 159, 161, 300, 306.

Bowling: Pedro Collins 20-4-75-4, Jerome Taylor 17-2-56-0 (nb5), Dwayne Bravo 10-0-66-0 (w1), Corey Collymore 14-1-57-0 (nb3), Ian Bradshaw 14-4-45-0 (nb1), Ramnaresh Sarwan 10-0-51-0 (w2).