The opening 20 minutes of the first day of the second Test at Sabina Park were dominated by the hosts West Indies. However, it was virtually all Pakistan thereafter, as the visitors held the upper hand when bad light stopped play yesterday.
At stumps, Pakistan were 212 for four, this after the visitors were in tatters with three wickets down for just two runs in the fourth over of the day.
Captain courageous Babar Azam along with his trusted soldier Fawad Alam showed their mettle, as the pair shared in a mammoth 158-run fourth-wicket stand to resuscitate the Pakistani innings.
After West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite won the toss and sent the Pakistanis in, that decision looked right on target just like Kemar Roache’s deliveries, as the Barbadian pacer got the ball rolling by knocking over Abid Ali for one with just two runs on the board.
A beauty outside off stump saw the right-hander edging a low catch to Jermaine Blackwood at third slip.
Roach was looking up for the challenge with that wicket, and he was at it again when he produced another beauty outside off stump which Azar Ali nicked to wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva to be out for a duck. The wicket left the visitors in shock at two for two.
It would get even worse for the Pakistanis, as Imran Butt also edged the ball to the wicketkeeper. This time it was Jayden Seales who produced a magnificent delivery to leave the visitors in disarray at three wickets down for just two runs.
In came Fawad Alam to join his captain and the pair’s clear intention was recovery, although Azam pounced on a few loose deliveries served up by Alzarri Joseph who came into the team in place of spinner Jomel Warrican.
The pair applied themselves and took the score to lunch at 62 for three, and on the resumption, it was more of the same, with both batsmen scoring freely and getting to their half-centuries. Azam brought up his 50 off 96 balls with nine fours, while Alam got to his 50 off 101 balls with eight fours.
Despite rotating their bowlers, the home side had little luck, and the visitors would go to tea without further loss with 145 runs on the board.
The humid conditions would take a toll on both teams. First up, wicketkeeper Da Silva had to be replaced by Jahmar Hamilton, after suffering from cramps brought on by heat exhaustion.
Then it was the turn of the Pakistanis, as Alam had to retire hurt in the 54th over with the score of 160 for three, as he pulled up attempting a single when he had got to 76 after hitting 11 fours.
The home side would get some respite late in the day, as Roach returned after the drinks break to find the edge of Azam’s bat. He was brilliantly caught in the slips by Jason Holder for 75 with a score of 168 for four.
The right-hander had faced 174 balls and hit 13 fours in his resolute knock. Mohammad Rizwan and Faheem Ashraf continued to play positively, and they batted to the close at 212 for four, to be on 22 and 23 not out, respectively.
Roach has so far taken three for 49 and Seales one for 25.
SCOREBOARD
PAKISTAN 1st Innings
Abid Ali c Blackwood b Roach 1
I. Butt c wk Da Silva b Seales 1
Azhar. Ali c wk Da Silva b Roach 0
*B. Azam c Holder b Roach 75
F. Alam ret. hurt 76
+M. Rizwan not out 22
F. Ashraf not out 23
Extras (b1, lb8, nb5) 14
TOTAL (4 wkts, 74 overs) 212
To bat: Hasan Ali, Nauman Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Abbas
Fall of wickets: 1-2 (Abid Ali), 2-2 (Azhar Ali), 3-2 (Imran Butt), 4-168 (Babar Azam)
Bowling: Roach 17-6-49-3 (nb1), Seales 11-3-25-1, Joseph 12-1-54-0, Holder 15-7-25-0, Mayers 11-5-17-0 (nb2), Chase 7-0-27-0, Bonner 1-0-6-0 (nb2).
WEST INDIES – Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Kieran Powell, Jermaine Blackwood, Roston Chase, Kyle Mayers, Nkrumah Bonner, Jason Holder, Joshua Da Silva, Kemar Roach, Alzarri Joseph, Jayden Seales.
Toss: West Indies.
Umpires: Gregory Brathwaite, Joel Wilson; TV – Nigel Duguid.