Published: Oct 25, 2016, 01:34 PM (IST)
Edited: Oct 25, 2016, 08:36 PM (IST)
West Indies go to lunch at 272 for 7 on Day 5 of the second Test against Pakistan at Abu Dhabi. Pakistan needed six wickets and West Indies needed 285 runs at the beginning of the day. Jermaine Blackwood, who played beautifully fell short of his second Test ton as he was bowled by Yasir Shah just 30 minutes before lunch. to add to West Indies’ woes, skipper Jason Holder too was dismissed right at thr stroke of lunch, giving Yasir yet another five-wicket haul. At Lunch, Pakistan are just four wickets away from a win and West Indies need a further 184 runs in the last two sessions. Jermaine Blackwood cracked a fine fifty to give West Indies some hope in this match. West Indies did not lost any wicket for the first half an hour, but then Yasir Shah gave Pakistan their first breakthrough of the day as he bowled a flighted delivery on off stump, drawing Roston Chase into the drive. The ball took the outside edge and Sarfraz Ahmed took a smart catch behind the wickets. FULL CRICKET SCORECARD: Pakistan vs West Indies, 2nd Test at Abu Dhabi
The wicket of Chase brought the 63-run stand between him and Blackwood to an end. Shai Hope, playing this match as a wicketkeeper-batsman walked in with a lot of pressure on him. He not only had to play sensibly, but also had to ensure that he does enough to cement a place in the team. Hope and Blackwood played well and have ensured that they keep West Indies in the game. Blackwood was playing with absolute ease and striking boundaries at will. At the moment it seems like Blackwood is the only one standing between West Indies’ bid to save the game and Pakistan’s aim to wrap up the series. Pakistan took the new ball as soon as it became available. Misbah-ul-Haq started with Sohail Khan and Yasir Shah at either end. Blackwod was going well at the other end, but Hope too joined in striking a couple of gorgeous boundaries off Yasir in his very first over with the new ball.
The pair brought up their 50-run stand off just 62 deliveries, which has given Misbah something to think about. They would have dearly liked to pick up another wicket before lunch, but West Indies to their credit have managed to keep their opponents on their toes. With less than 30 minutes to go for lunch, West Indies lost Blackwood for 95. Yasie struck again as he breached Blackwood’s defence to give Pakistan a good chance of wrapping up the match in the very next session. Hope and skipper Jason Holder will look to get their eye in and ensure they do not lost their wickets in the second session, but it will be an uphill task for West Indies to win or even save the match from here. LIVE Cricket Updates, Pakistan vs West Indies, 2nd Test, Day 5 at Abu Dhabi
It is all up to Hope and the tail to help West Indies save the match. Devendra Bishoo is no mug with the bat, but he will have to play an innings of his life to ensure West Indies do not lose this match from here.
On Day Four, Pakistan declared at 227 for 4, after the top three batsmen Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali and Sami Aslam struck fine half-centuries. Pakistan had over 150 overs to bowl at West Indies, setting them a target of 456. West Indies in reply once again got off to a poor start as opener Len Johnson was dismissed early. Kraigg Brathwaite, who returned to the opening slot after batting at No. 3 in the first innings scored a gritty 67 and kept Pakistan at bay. But he was trapped in front by Mohammad Nawaz, bringing his promising innings to an end. Darren Bravo and Marlon Samuels scored 13 and 23 respectively and it was up to the West Indies’ middle and lower-order to come to their rescue once again.
On Day One, Pakistan won the toss and had no hesitation in batting first. Younis Khan came into this match after recovering from illness and struck a fine century in the first innings. Skipper Misbah-ul-Haq too was among the runs but fell four runs short of yet another ton. Pakistan’s first innings also had tons from Asad Shafiq and Sarfraz as they went on to make 452. Shannon Gabriel picked up his first five-wicket haul in Tests. West Indies in reply were bundled out for just 224. Bravo top-scored for them with 43 and it was Yasir Shah, who was the thorn in West Indies’ flesh, picking up four wickets. Rahat Ali and Sohail Khan chipped in with three and two wickets respectively.
Pakistan lead the three-match series 1-0. If they win this match, they will take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series, going into the final match of the series.
Pakistan 452 (Asad Shafiq 68, Younis Khan 127; Shannon Gabriel 5 for 96, Jason Holder 3 for 47) & 227 for 2 decl. ( Azhar Ali 79, Asad Shafiq 58*; Shannon Gabriel 1 for 36, Miguel Cummins 1 for 26) lead West Indies 224 (Darren Bravo 43, Jason Holder 31*; Rahat Ali 3 for 45, Yasir Shah 4 for 86) & 272 for 7 (Kraigg Brathwaite 67, Jermaine Blackwood 95; Yasir Shah 5 for 105, Mohammad Nawaz 1 for 22) by 183 runs
