Lara double ton lifts Windies

In typical Brian Lara fashion, a string of poor scores have been stamped out with one day of sheer brilliance as the former West Indian captain knocked up an unconquered double ton in the first day of the Third Test against Australia in Adelaide today.

Lara is poised to break Allan Border's record of 11,174 runs to become the most prolific run-scorer in Test history when he resumes from his overnight score of 202 tomorrow morning.

At the close of play, the visitors made a good fist of the conditions on the first day, sitting on 7-352, hugely thanked by Lara's eighth double century in Test Cricket.

In an unfamiliar position for Australia this series, strong batting tomorrow morning could see the West Indies push for a first innings total of over 400 - the first time the visitors would have achieved this feet in the series.

However, after West Indies captain Shiv Chanderpaul won the toss and batted first, three early and deadly blows by Brett Lee left the visitors reeling at 3-58 midway during the first session - a sensing feeling that the West Indian batsmen were going to offer little resistance.

Scrambling their way to lunch at 3-71 with Lara on 27 and Chanderpaul unbeaten on nine, the pair fought on valiantly post lunch in a 68-run stand, before Chanderpaul (25) edged Andrew Symonds to keeper Adam Gilchrist at 4-121.

Dwayne Bravo (34) coupled with Lara at the crease in a fruitful 116-run partnership, which took the score along to 4-237 shortly after the tea break, before Bravo was deceived in flight by Stuart MacGill, with Ricky Ponting under the leading edge at forward point.

While Lara battled along, bringing up his 31st Test century with an unorthodox pull on the 144th ball of his innings, his partners were finding it difficult to contain themselves.

An errant swing of the bat brought the downfall of Dwayne Smith for 14 at 6-263, with his dynamic attempt at uniting the ball with the stratosphere mildly failing - Symonds safely pouching the skier off MacGill at deep mid-wicket.

The former West Indian captain passed 150 in 200 balls, then bettered his previous best score of 182 at the Adelaide Oval a short time later.

The loss of Denesh Ramdin (27) three overs before stumps was a killer blow for the visitors, though, Lara ensured the West Indians would finish the day on a positive note, bringing up his double ton in the penultimate over of the day.

Lee (3-96) and MacGill (2-55) were the only multiple wicket-takers on the first day.

Full scorecard available here.

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