At the close of the fourth and penultimate day, the West Indies, who were asked to follow-on by Australia with a deficit of 277 runs, were 187 for three, still 90 runs in arrears, going into today’s final day.

Sarwan, the 22-year-old new West Indies vice-captain overcame a missed run-out before he had opened his account and a spilled return catch on 14, to end the day unbeaten on a responsible 58 while Lara, showing signs of recuperating from his illness of the past two days, was on 41.

The pair has so far featured in an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 93 runs and will carry the West Indies hopes of preventing a third successive defeat after crashing by nine wickets in Guyana and 118 runs in Trinidad and Tobago to give Australia a 2-0 lead.

Sarwan has so far struck nine fours off 134 balls in 228 minutes of intense concentration as he carefully mixed dogged defence with controlled aggression.

Lara was even more circumspect, taking 150 minutes and 122 balls and striking just three boundaries.

With the second new ball only eight overs away and the much-maligned pitch of uneven bounce deteriorating with several balls keeping low, Lara and Sarwan face a daunting task of keeping the Australians at bay.

The West Indies had started their second innings, 40 minutes to lunch, after their fast bowlers Vasbert Drakes (11) and Tino Best (20 not out) frustrated Australia by adding 33 runs for the ninth wicket when they resumed from an overnight 291 for eight.

Leg-spinner Stuart MacGill finally wrapped up the first innings by removing Drakes and last man Jermaine Lawson to end with four for 107 off 39.5 overs.

Gayle and Devon Smith then survived 10 overs before lunch in taking the total to 13 without loss at the break.

On the resumption, the Windies slipped to 31 for two after fast bowler Brett Lee, in an impressive post-lunch spell, trapped both Devon Smith (5) and Daren Ganga (6) leg-before-wicket.

Smith was undone by a delivery, which held its line and crashed into his pads before taking the edge of the bat for an alert umpire Venkat to make an affirmative and correct verdict.

Ganga’s dismissal was even more palpable as he was struck on the boot with a full-length delivery.

West Indies could have been in further trouble but Sarwan, not yet off the mark, escaped being run-out for the seventh time in his career when Waugh’s throw from the covers just missed the stumps as the batsmen scampered a cheeky single.

That error of judgement was soon forgotten as Gayle quickly got into groove and greeted the experienced Glenn McGrath with a fierce back-foot drive through the covers for four.

He followed up with a front-foot pull through forward square leg for another boundary off Lee.

Sarwan, still trying to find his touch, got another reprieve on 14 when seam bowler Andy Bichel spilled a return catch from a firm push off a full-length delivery.

Gayle posted his fifty in grand style just before the interval, lifting McGrath over long off for his seventh four to reach the landmark in 143 minutes off 104 balls.

Starting the final session from the teatime score of 94 for two, the West Indies suffered an immediate setback when Gayle moved down the pitch and was smartly stumped by Gilchrist off MacGill’s first ball after the interval.

Gayle’s innings spanned 164 minutes and 123 balls with seven fours, mostly drives, as his main scoring shots.

Lara, then came out at No.5 to join his young deputy and the pair raised the Windies’ hopes of salvaging a draw by batting through until the close, forcing Aussie captain to use eight bowlers in an attempt to gain a breakthrough.

Earlier, the West Indies, resuming their first innings from 291 for eight overnight, added a further 37 runs before losing their last two wickets to MacGill.

Drakes, playing loosely outside the off-stump, was caught by Lee at cover point while Lawson only managed to push his back foot onto the crease after missing a leg-break from MacGill to be stumped by Gilchrist for one.

Best was left high and dry after hitting two fours in 66 minutes and 48 balls of defiance.

AUSTRALIA first innings 605-9, 154.3 overs (S.Waugh 115, R.Ponting 113).

WEST INDIES first innings (o/n 291-8)

C.Gayle b Gillespie 71

D.Smith c Gilchrist b Gillespie 59

D.Ganga c Bichel b Lehmann 26

R.Sarwan c Gilchrist b Lee 40

S.Chanderpaul c Lee b MacGill 0

O.Banks c Ponting b Gillespie 24

C.Baugh c Ponting b MacGill 24

B.Lara lbw b Bichel 14

V.Drakes c Lee b MacGill 11

T.Best not out 20

J.Lawson stp. Gilchrist b MacGill 1

Extras: (b-11, lb-16, nb-11) 38

Total: (all out) 328

Fall of wickets: 1-139, 2-142, 3-205, 4-206, 5-245, 6-245, 7-281, 8-291, 9-324.

Bowling: McGrath 18-7-25-0, Gillespie 21-9-31-3 (nb-1), Lee 25-8-77-1 (nb-8), MacGill 39.5-8-107-4 (nb-2), Lehmann 9-2-26-1, Bichel 16-3-35-1.

WEST INDIES 2nd innings

C.Gayle stp. Gilchrist b MacGill 56

D.Smith lbw b Lee 5

D.Ganga lbw b Lee 6

R.Sarwan not out 58

B.Lara not out 41

Extras: (b-6, lb-13, nb-2) 21

Total: (3 wickets, 72 overs) 187

Fall of wickets: 1-15, 2-31, 3-94.