West Indies reply starts well after Ravichandran Ashwin and Wriddiman Saha centuries

West Indies rallied well after conceding a pair of centuries to India's middle order batsmen on day two of the third Test in St Lucia.

Ravichandran Ashwin and Wriddiman Saha looked like putting India in complete control in a 213-run stand for the sixth wicket but a collapse and some fine West Indies batting left the hosts 246 runs adrift with nine of their first innings wickets remaining.

Ashwin and Saha had already put on 108 when play resumed on Wednesday and the West Indies would fail to make a single breakthrough in the morning session.

Spinner Ashwin was the first to three figures, reaching the landmark off 264 balls, and Saha joined him as a centurion just after their partnership passed 200.

But Saha's dismissal for 104, when he was caught behind off the bowling of Alzarri Joseph (3-69), sparked an astonishing collapse that saw India lose their last five wickets for only 14 runs.

Three of those wickets went to Miguel Cummins, who finished with figures of 3-54 including the wicket of Ashwin for 118 and Ishant Sharma (0), who was the last man to fall with the score on 353.

The West Indies reply was a slow and patient one, with Kraigg Brathwaite and Leon Johnson taking 24 overs for their opening partnership of 59, which was ended when Johnson was run out for 23.

But Brathwaite remained unbeaten on 53 at the end of the day's play with Darren Bravo on 18 as the West Indies reached a decent position on 107-1.