WATCH: West Indies’ Inconsistency Gifts Pakistan Series-Squaring Success
There was no repeat performance by the West Indies of last week’s sensational one-wicket victory as the hosts tasted a hefty 109-run defeat against Pakistan at Kingston’s Sabina Park on Tuesday (24 August).
Shaheen Shah Afridi’s 10-wicket haul secured success for the tourists to level the two Test series held in Jamaica, as the Windies failed once more with bat and ball.
The Windies faced the final day of five needing to either survive 98 overs to earn a draw and the series or score an additional 280 runs to claim victory.
However, they were skittled out late in the session for 219 in their tepid second innings. Yet there were some impressive knocks from the Barbados trio of all rounder Jason Holder (47), skipper Kraigg Brathwaite (39) and Kyle Mayers (32). Jamaica’s vice-captain Jermaine Blackwood chipped in with 25, but his compatriot Nkruma Bonner hit just two runs.
Once former captain Holder was dismissed, to take the score to 199-8, it was a matter of time as to when 21-year-old seamer Shaheen (4-43) would clean up the tail-enders. He claimed the last wicket of the series to dismiss Joshua Da Silva just after tea, which added to his impressive career-best of 6-51 in the opening innings, and took his tally to 18 wickets in the series at an average of 11.28 runs.
After losing four wickets in the final day’s first session, the chase to score 329 for victory seemed to be an impossible task having only totalled 150 in the opening innings when the Jamaican duo of Bonner (37) and Blackwood (33) finished as the top two scorers.
It began to drizzle near the scheduled tea interval, which forced an early break at 159-7 with just over 40 overs remaining. Light rain and fading light almost came to the rescue of the Windies, who had struggled with the ball that meant Pakistan made two tactical declarations at 302-9 and 176-6 respectively.
After the hosts slumped to defeat, there will be question marks as to why the Windies twice failed to pass the 200 mark in two of the Test series’ innings. This flaw should result in a serious shake-up of personnel before England visit the Caribbean for a trio of Test matches in March 2022.
Perplexed Brathwaite admitted: “Test cricket is never easy, it is just a mindset so the sooner we get to that the better. Being able to get through tough periods is key for us, but confidence is what we need.”
West Indies v Pakistan Test Series – Drawn 1-1
1st Test | August 12-15 (Sabina Park, Jamaica)
WI beat Pakistan by 1 wicket
WI 253 all out & 168-9.
Pakistan 217 all out & 203 all out.
2nd Test | August 20-24 (Sabina Park, Jamaica)
Pakistan beat WI by 109 runs
Pakistan 302-9 declared & 176-6 declared.
WI 150 all out & 219 all out.
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