A wicket to Ryan Harris approaching lunch on Sunday put Australia back on an even footing with the West Indies in the first Test in Barbados.

At the break on day two, the hosts were 5-291 with veteran Shivnarine Chanderpaul leading the way, unbeaten on 58 while Carlton Baugh was on four.

Harris (2-63) dismissed Narsingh Deonarine (21) 15 minutes before lunch when he cramped the Windies batsman with a short delivery which looped off the top edge for Matthew Wade to complete a comfortable catch.

The burly Queenslander could have had a double breakthrough but Windies wicketkeeper-batsman Baugh was dropped three balls later by Ricky Ponting in the slips.

Resuming on 3-179 after a rain-shortened first day, Chanderpaul and Darren Bravo added 61 in good time before their 74-run stand came to an end.

Bravo, riding his luck all morning including two edged boundaries off consecutive Peter Siddle deliveries to pass 50, was eventually removed by Shane Watson (1-28) for 51.

The Australian allrounder lured the left-hander to edge a delivery straight to Michael Hussey fielding in the gully.

Deonarine and Chanderpaul then added a further 45 as the Windies appeared to gain the ascendency in the match before Harris’s breakthrough.