Kingston: West Indies had their noses slightly in front at stumps on day one of the first Test despite a fightback by India's lower middle order at Sabina Park on Monday.
The hosts ended the day at 34/1, behind by 212 runs after restricting the visitors to 246 despite the heroics of Suresh Raina (82 not out) and Harbhajan Singh (70).
Ishant Sharma then provided India the much-needed early wicket by dismissing Windies' opener Lendl Simmons after the Indian innings folded up soon after tea.
Simmons inside edged Sharma's delivery straight to his pads and the ball lobbed for a simple catch to Murali Vijay standing at short leg.
Earlier, India lost their last four wickets for 27 runs after tea on day one of the first Test against West Indies to get all out for 246.
Fidel Edwards started the late-order collapse by inducing a false pull shot from Harbhajan Singh (70) to end his 146-run stand for the seventh wicket with Suresh Raina, who remained not out at 82.
Edwards then polished off the Indian tail in no time to dismiss the visitors for an unconvincing 246. He ended up the top wicket-taker with four for 56.
Ravi Rampaul (3/59) and Devendra Bishoo (3/75) were the other wicket—takers for the Caribbean side.
In the afternoon, Harbhajan and Raina scored attractive half-centuries to lead a bold counter-attack for India, guiding them to 219 for six in their first innings at tea.
Raina was unbeaten on 70 and Harbhajan was not out on 67 at the break, adding 134 - unbroken - for the seventh wicket and reviving India after they slumped to 85 for six in the first 15 minutes following the lunch interval on the first day at Sabina Park.
Harbhajan reached his 50 from 45 balls, when he patted a delivery from leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo into the covers for a single, and seemed to inspire Raina with his confident strokeplay.
Left-hander Raina, whose form appeared to have deserted him during the preceding one-day series when he was leading India, reached 50 in 76 deliveries and arrived at the landmark in grand style with successive straight-driven boundaries off West Indies captain Darren Sammy.
The pair brought India back into the match after Bishoo seemed to put West Indies in charge with two wickets in successive overs.
Rahul Dravid made 40 before he edged a loose drive to Sammy at slip off Bishoo, who also had India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni caught at second slip for a two-ball duck.
But Harbhajan quickly got into stride, lofting Bishoo straight for his first boundary, before striking the first two deliveries of the spinner's next over for two more boundaries.
Raina seemed to be inspired and he too joined in the fun with two well-executed drives through the off-side for boundaries.
Next over, Harbhajan spoiled Rampaul's figures with three boundaries: a hook to deep fine leg, a leg-glance in the same area and a searing drive through extra cover and mid-off.
The runs continued to flow up to tea with the two batsmen matching each other stroke for stroke, with Harbhajan swinging Bishoo for the first six of the match over long-on in the final over before the break.
Bishoo has been the most successful West Indies bowler with three for 75 from 11 overs and Rampaul took two for 44 from 14 overs.
Before lunch, India had failed to justify their decision to bat, limping to 69 for four at lunch.
The visitors were set back early, when Murali Vijay was caught at backward point for eight, slicing a drive off Rampaul, who also bowled debutant left-hander Abhinav Mukund off the inside edge for 11.
VVS Laxman joined fellow veteran Dravid and stemmed the fall of wickets for close to an hour. But he was caught at slip for 12 off the first delivery from Bishoo, edging a loose drive and leaving India 64 for three.
The rot set in when Virat Kohli was caught behind for four, playing defensively forward to Fidel Edwards in the final over before the interval.
The Indians included three Test newcomers in Mukund, Kohli and fast-medium bowler Praveen Kumar.
West Indies included Edwards, who will be playing his first Test in close to two years, after he was sidelined with a career-threatening back injury.
In pics: West Indies vs India, Day 1
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