GROS ISLET, St Lucia (CMC) – Out-of-favour senior team leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo made a welcome return to form as West Indies A had the better of the exchanges on the opening day of the decisive third unofficial ‘Test’ against India A here yesterday. The right-armer, who has struggled in the series with just a single wicket in the two matches so far, claimed three for 40 to help dismiss India A for 230 after they were sent in at the Beausejour Cricket Stadium.
He was supported by seamer Jonathan Carter who picked up three for 67.
Right-handed lower order batsman Jalaj Saxena top-scored with a breezy 61 while captain Cheteshwar Pujara got 33 and Ajinkya Rahane and Manoj Tiwary, 32 apiece.
In reply, West Indies A were 34 without loss, with Test opener Kieran Powell unbeaten on 16 and out-of-favour senior team batsman Kraigg Brathwaite on 13.
West Indies A reduced the visitors to 32 for two  early on after left-arm speedster Delorn Johnson removed Abhinav Mukund for 10 to a catch at second slip by Carter and Rohit Sharma was then bowled for 12, shouldering arms to Carter.
Rahane and Pujara added 46 for the third wicket, before the right-handed Rahane fell just before lunch, caught behind off one from left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul that spun and bounced.
India A slipped to 116 for five in the post-lunch session before a sequence of small partnerships saw then past the 200-run mark.
Tiwary and wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha (27) put on 30 for the sixth wicket before Saha and Saxena added a further 33 for the seventh wicket.
Saxena was bold in his stroke-play, smashing 10 fours off just 59 balls.
He was Bishoo’s second wicket, ninth out caught by Brathwaite at mid-wicket.
Bishoo’s third wicket came when he bowled Parvinder Awana without scoring to wrap up the innings.

INDIA A 1st innings
A. Mukund c Carter b Johnson 10
A. Rahane c wkp. Thomas b Permaul 32
R. Sharma b Carter 12
C. Pujara run-out 33
M. Tiwary c Powell b Carter 32
R. Bist  lbw b Bishoo 5
W. Saha c wkp. Thomas b Carter 27
J. Saxena c Brathwaite b Bishoo 61
A. Darekar c Bishoo b McClean 0
S. Ahmed not out 8
P. Awana b Bishoo 0
Extras: (b-3, lb-2, nb-5) 10
Total: (all out, 74 overs) 230
Fall of wickets: 1-16, 2-32, 3-78, 4-100, 5-116, 6-146, 7-179, 8-208, 9-230.
Bowling: Johnson 10-5-19-1, McClean 18-2-58-1, Carter 15-2-67-3, Permaul 19-8-41-1, Bishoo 12-1-40-3.

WEST INDIES A 1st innings
K. Brathwaite not out 13
K. Powell not out 16
Extras: (lb-5) 5
Total: (without loss, 14 overs) 34
Bowling: Ahmed 7-1-13-0, Awana 5-1-12-0, Darekar 2-1-4-0.
Position: West Indies A require another 196 runs for first innings lead with all their wickets in tact.