ST VINCENT, May 1: In yet another display of abject surrender, the Indian batsmen handed over victory in the third one-day international to West Indies losing the last eight wickets for only 46 runs after Saurav Ganguly (79) and Rahul Dravid (74) had laid a firm foundation for an easy win.

Chasing a solid West Indian score of 249 on a good batting wicket, left hander Ganguly and Dravid offset the early loss of skipper Sachin Tendulkar (9) by resolutely adding 130 for the second wicket taking the total to 187.

But Ganguly fell on the verge of the visitors launching the final victory assault before the rest of the batting, led by a totally out of sorts Mohammed Azharuddin, collapsed in self-inflicted panic to be all out for 231 to go down by 18 runs with 10 balls to spare and giving the hosts a 2-1 lead in the four-match series.

India seemed to take charge chasing a run rate of five an over on a sunny day and Dravid, who cracked the innocuous looking fourth seamer Ottis Gibson for three fours in an over to force him out of the attack after two overs, put the visitors well on their way.

But Gibson, when brought back later, had his revenge when Dravid played on to leave india at 157 for two and then cut through the jittery remainder of Indian batting which collapsed like a pack of cards in the slog overs. Gibson emerged with a match-winning haul of four for 61 from 10 overs.

The most experienced batsman Azharuddin (24) groped like a tailender and skied a wild slash off Gibson to Hooper to end his misery. The rest came tumbling down with a spate of ridiculous run outs hastening the end.

The Caribbeans, with a delirious home crowd behind them, suddenly tightened the grip as the virtually settled affair opened up with the frenzied response by the Indian batsmen gift-wrapping the victory for them.

Earlier, a career-best 76 from Stuart Williams spurred the West Indies to 249 for nine.

Williams hit six fours and a six in his 110-ball innings. The 27-year-old from the tiny island of Nevis shared partnerships of 60 with Brian Lara and 84 with Carl Hooper that gave the innings momentum.

India held the early initiative through their new ball bowlers Abey Kuruvilla and Venkatesh Prasad.

When the in-form opener Shivnarine Chanderpaul was adjudged leg before to Kuruvilla for five in the eighth over, the score was just 11.

But the arrival of left-hander Lara sparked a West Indian acceleration. The Trinidadian star hit a brisk 33 of 38 balls with five boundaries to shake the Indian hold before he was bowled off the inside edge trying to cut medium pacer Robin Singh.

Williams followed his senior partner's cue and, after the quick loss of Lara and Jimmy Adams, held center stage with Hooper.

The pair put on 84 off 103 balls for the fourth wicket before Williams pulled a long hop from Sachin Tendulkar straight to long on. Williams benefitted from two let offs during his innings.

When on 22, he was short of his ground when a return from Noel David hit the non-striker's stumps direct. But the fielders appeared not to appeal and the umpire Steve Bucknor did not seek the TV replay which showed the batsman out. On 38, off-spinner David could not hold on to a fierce straight drive. Hooper was caught by Anil Kumble off his own bowling.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.