The West Indian bowlers used the helpful conditions at Sabina Park much better than the Indians, and that is why they are in a better position in this match. India had wasted the new ball yesterday, but today West Indies used it well, pitching the ball up to the batsmen and making them play a lot of deliveries early, when the ball was new. While they did well compared to India, the West Indian bowlers didn't do themselves justice, and bowl as well as they could have. Cameron Cuffy's waywardness was particularly striking; normally so accurate and parsimonious, he had trouble pitching the ball in the right place today. Adam Sanford also bowled too many short balls.

It was a good ploy by Carl Hooper to bring on Pedro Collins when Sachin Tendulkar came to the crease. Collins got Tendulkar's wicket twice in the last four innings, and that certainly must have been playing on Tendulkar's mind. He reacted by going after the bowling with a vengeance, as if he had a point to prove, and I think that eventually led to his downfall, as his impetuosity got the better of him.

Earlier in the day, we had seen Ridley Jacobs attack the bowling as aggressively, and I thought he was wonderful. He took the attack to the bowlers, as he is capable of doing; he is a powerful strokeplayer and hits the ball cleanly, and his half-century helped take West Indies to the position of dominance they are in.

I was surprised, though, to see the tail potter around and try to hang in there. Their collapse is almost a clichéd occurrence by now, but I thought they should have attacked from the moment their innings began, and tried to get quick runs. I don't really see what the likes of Cuffy and Sanford can really achieve by grafting.

The pitch deteriorated alarmingly today, with a lot of balls keeping low. If it continues on this downward spiral, it will not augur well for the five days of this Test match. However, I have a feeling that it will stay much as it is now, and will not get too much worse. Though that would provide little consolation to India, the state they're in.

Michael Holding, a key member of the West Indies pace quartet of the 1970s and '80s, will be contributing the Wisden Verdict for all the Tests in this series. He was talking to Amit Varma.

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