Published: Sep 25, 2016, 01:08 AM (IST)
Edited: Sep 25, 2016, 02:22 AM (IST)
Pakistan have beaten West Indies by 16 runs in the second T20 International (T20I) at Dubai and with this win have taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. It was an all-round performance from Pakistan that saw them emerge victorious in this match. Sohail Tanvir and Hasan Ali picked up three wickets apiece, after Pakistan batsmen had posted 160 for 4 in their innings. Just like the first T20I, Imad Wasim opened the bowling for Pakistan. He gave away just three runs off his first over. Johnson Charles managed to get the first boundary of the innings in the second over off Sohail Tanvir, But it wss Imad, who struck first once again, getting rid of Charles as he smashed one right down the throat of Umar Akmal at long on.
His opening partner Evin Lewis too did not last long, edging a wide delivery to slip, where Sharjeel khan was waiting. West Indies’ most experienced batsman Marlon Samuels then walked out to join Andre Fletcher. Samuels’ miserable run continued as he was dismissed caught behind for just one, with Tanvir claiming his second of the match. Top-scorer from the first game, Dwayne Bravo walked in, once again under a lot of pressure. Bravo and Fletcher had to ensure that they build a good partnership and get their team closer to the Pakistan total. West Indies at the end of their powerplay overs were struggling at 20 for 3, still needing 141 runs to win off 84 deliveries.
Sarfraz then turned to Malik to bowl the seventh over. Malik managed to keep the pressure on the West Indies batsmen, giving just three away in his first over. Sarfraz Ahmed then called on Hasan Ali to bowl the next over. He had gone for plenty of runs in the previous match. He was welcomed with a six over long off by Bravo. But Hasan despite that six, Hasan conceded just 10 from his first over. Imad then returned to bowl his third over. He had just conceded six from his first two overs and also picked up a wicket. Imad gave away just six off his third over. West Indies needed over 11 an over at that stage. Full Cricket Updates, Pakistan vs West Indies, 2nd T20I
Mohammad Nawaz bowled the 10th over. Bravo scored a boundary off the very first ball of the over, putting the pressure on the bowler right away. Nawaz got some purchase off the track, beating Bravo comprehensively, with Sarfraz knocking the bails off in a flash. But Bravo’s foot was planted in the crease. But Nawaz eventually got his man in the final delivery off the over. The ball came in with the arm and knocked Bravo’s wickets over. At the halfway stage West Indies were 45 for 4, needing 116 more off the final 10 overs. That brought Kieron Pollard into the crease.
Imad bowled out in the 11th over itself. He finished with figures of 1 for 18 in his four overs, to go with a five-wicket haul in the first match. Wahab Riaz finally came on to bowl and got thrashed by Pollard to the fence off the very first ball of his spell. He gave away just eight off his first over at a time when West Indies need to score at over 12. Pakistan without a shadow of a doubt, were in cruise control at this stage. Nawaz then began his third over, having given away just nine his first two overs. He gave away 10 off this over, but that was still below the required run rate.
Sarfraz rotated his bowlers very well. But the West Indies lost the plot. While going after Hasan Ali, West Indies lost the wickets of Fletcher and Pollard in the same over and there was no coming back from that. Sunil Narine was timing the ball sweetly, but with the required run rate close to 20, he could do very little for his team’s benefit. Despite going for plenty of runs, Hasan was brought on to bowl the crucial penultimate over. He managed to get rid of Carlos Brathwaite for just eight.
Wahab was entrusted to bowl the final over of the match, with West Indies needing 30 off it. he started off with a strange waist high full toss, which also resulted in four byes. But West Indies had too many to get eventually and Pakistan emerged victorious in the end. West Indies have nothing but pride to play for in the third T20I, but Pakistan will look to complete a 3-0 whitewash, which may see West Indies drop to No. 4 in the ICC T20I rankings. Pakistan won the one-off T20I against England and with this win, they have now won three games in a row in the shortest format, which will give them a lot of confidence, considering how badly they fared in the Asia cup T20 and the T20 World Cup as well.
Pakistan scored 160 for 4 in their 20 overs, with skipper Sarfraz Ahmed top-scoring with a 32-ball 46. Shoaib Malik and Khalid Latif too played useful hands, scoring 37 and 40 respectively. Samuel Badree, Carlos Brathwaite and Dwayne Bravo picked up a wicket apiece. Latif and Azam continued their good run of form and put on 54 for the second wicket. That partnership was followed by 69-run stand between Sarfraz and Malik, which really set the tone for the innings and Pakistan managed to get a good score on the board.
Earlier West Indies had won the toss and elected to bowl first. They perhaps did not want to bowl second as the dew would play a major factor, just like it did in the first T20I. Both teams did not make any changes to their side from the first game.
Brief scores:
Pakistan 160 for 4 in 20 overs (Khalid Latif 40, Shoaib Malik 37, Sarfraz Ahmed 46*; Samuel Badree 1 for 24, ) beat West Indies 144 for 9 in 20 overs (Andre Fletcher 29, Sunil Narine 30; Sohail Tanvir 3 for 13, Hasan Ali 3 for 49) by 16 runs
Man of the match: Sarfraz Ahmed
