Half-centuries from Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Ramnaresh Sarwan helped West Indies gain a healthy first innings lead over India in the opening Test on Saturday at the Antigua Recreation Ground.

Gayle top-scored with a typically belligerent 72, Bravo hit an attractive 63, and Ramnaresh Sarwan laboured over 57 to help West Indies reach 318 for six, in reply to India's first innings total of 241, when stumps were drawn on the second day.

Virender Sehwag dismissed Bravo and left-hander Shivnarine Chanderpaul to be the pick of the Indian bowlers with two wickets for 32 runs from 12 overs.

Fast bowler Munaf Patel supported with two for 60 and Anil Kumble took two for 85.

West Indies could have been in a much stronger position had they not lost three wickets after tea, two to Sehwag, following half-centuries from Gayle, Bravo, and Sarwan.

With his frontline bowlers unable to make headway, Indian captain Rahul Dravid turned to Sehwag and he removed Chanderpaul.

He then snared Bravo four overs later, when the young all-rounder was deceived by the flight and bounce of a delivery and was stumped after he struck 11 boundaries in 92 balls.

Earlier, the runs had flowed for West Indies, with Gayle and Sarwan marauding India's three fast bowlers.

Gayle with typical savagery then jumped on the new-ball pair of Sreesanth and Patel, as Sarwan played smoothly at the other end.

He lofted the first ball of Sreesanth's fifth over for a straight six and collected two boundaries square of the wicket off the last two deliveries in an over that cost 17.

After the interval, West Indies continued their assault on the Indian fast bowlers in particular, but were slowed down by the dismissals of Gayle and fellow left-hander Brian Lara in action-packed afternoon period.

Gayle was caught at slip off Kumble for 72 edging a forward defensive probe, after he added 119 for the second wicket with Sarwan, and Lara was caught at point off Patel slicing a drive for 18 to leave West Indies on 159 for three.

Gayle also enjoyed consecutive boundaries in Kumble's first over, but the wily leg-spinner eventually pinned him down, and made the breakthrough for India, when he removed the West Indies opener, who struck 13 fours and one six from 91 balls in 2-1/4 hours.

Earlier on resumption, tail-enders Sreesanth and Patel frustrated West Indies for about half-hour. They added only six runs though, before Fidel Edwards bowled Patel for a 28-ball duck.