Sachin Tendulkar remained on course for a much-anticipated 100th international hundred as India made a solid response to West Indies' hefty first-innings total on day three of the third Test in Mumbai.

Tendulkar was unbeaten on 67 when bad light halted play for the day with India on 281 for three - still 309 runs short of the West Indies' 590 all out.

The Little Master has been stuck on 99 centuries since March, and although he missed out on scoring the 100th on the grand occasion of the World Cup final he could yet bring it up on home turf should he add 33 runs to his total on the fourth morning.

More than 15,000 spectators watched India's progress in the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday, with thousands more reportedly turned away at the gates, and there's a strong possibility that prices for day four tickets on the black market could escalate in anticipation of Tendulkar reaching the landmark on Friday.

Tendulkar enjoyed one let-off during his innings, with Carlton Baugh failing to hold onto a thin edge when the batsman was on 58, with Devendra Bishoo the frustrated bowler.

Tendulkar began his innings in positive fashion, reaching 20 from 28 balls when the tea break rolled around, but was more circumspect in the final session as he added 47 runs from 105 deliveries.

West Indies were able to claim a wicket per session, with Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Rahul Dravid the batsman to fall on a placid batting track.

Dravid went past 1,000 runs for the year on his way to 82, continuing his excellent form which has also seen him notch up five centuries in 2011.

It's the third time that Dravid has scored more than 1,000 runs in a calendar year, and he received a warm ovation from an appreciative Wankhede crowd when he achieved the feat during the second session.

However, Marlon Samuels eventually got the better of him when Dravid attempted to cut a straight delivery which just clipped off stump after the batsman had failed to make contact.

Gambhir (55) was the batsman to be dismissed in the afternoon, as he failed to get on top of a Ravi Rampaul bouncer and edged through to the wicketkeeper.

India were 74 for one at lunch, still 516 runs adrift of the West Indian total, after the indefatigable Darren Sammy had claimed the scalp of Sehwag.

The bullish opening batsman had bulldozed his way to 37 as West Indies tried all sorts of ways of containing him, before Sammy's ploy finally worked.

The seamer had bowled wide of off stump with a heavy offside field in his first three overs in an attempt to stifle Sehwag, but surprised the right-hander with a straight one which bowled Sehwag as he swiped across the line.

Gambhir had a shaky start in which he was often beaten by Fidel Edwards, but the left-hander tightened up and breezed to 30 not out as he was accompanied to lunch by Dravid.

The West Indies had elected not to declare on their overnight total of 575 for nine, but added just 15 runs to their score before Bishoo was bowled by Ravichandran Ashwin to hand the offspinner another five-wicket haul.

Ashwin finished with figures of 5 for 156 from 52.1 overs, giving him his second five-for in just his third Test match.