- Abbas’s five-wicket haul helped Pakistan dismiss WI for 181.
- Pakistan make shaky start to 211-run chase against West Indies.
- At lunch on Day 4, Green Shirts reeling at 28/3.
TAROUBA: West Indies wrapped up a commanding 90-run victory over Pakistan in the opening Test on Tuesday, bowling out the visitors for 120 while defending a target of 211 to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy.
Resuming their chase after Tea at 114/9, with captain Babar Azam and No. 11 Mohammad Abbas unbeaten on 53 and 22, respectively, Pakistan could add only six more runs before Seales trapped Abbas lbw in the second over after the interval.
Babar remained Pakistan’s top scorer with an unbeaten 58 from 107 deliveries, while Abbas made a defiant 23 from 33 balls. Wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan was the only other Pakistan batter to reach double figures, scoring 11 during a 21-run fourth-wicket partnership with Babar.
Seales spearheaded West Indies’ bowling attack in the second innings with outstanding figures of 5/20 from 14.2 overs. Kemar Roach and Justin Greaves claimed two wickets apiece, while Shamar Joseph picked up one.
Earlier, Babar and Rizwan resumed cautiously after Tea and added 21 runs for the fourth wicket before Justin Greaves bowled Rizwan in the sixth over of the session.
Following Rizwan’s dismissal, Pakistan lost five wickets for the addition of just 25 runs and slumped to 71/9.
Babar was then joined by Abbas, and the pair shared an unbroken 49-run stand for the final wicket, during which the Pakistan captain brought up his 32nd Test half-century and guided his side past the 100-run mark.
Earlier in the day, Pakistan made a disappointing start to their chase as Kemar Roach had experienced opener Imam-ul-Haq (3) caught behind in the third over with just five runs on the board.
Emerging opener Azan Awais (3) briefly resisted alongside Babar in a 16-run partnership for the second wicket before Jayden Seales had him caught behind in the sixth over.
Seales struck again in his next over, trapping Salman Ali Agha lbw for a duck to leave Pakistan struggling at 25/3.
At the start of the fourth and final day, West Indies resumed their second innings on 126/7 and added a valuable 55 runs for their remaining three wickets.
Having secured a slender 29-run first-innings lead after posting 311 and dismissing Pakistan for 282, the hosts set the visitors a target of 211 to win the series opener.
Lower-order batters Shamar Joseph and Kemar Roach, who resumed the innings overnight, continued to frustrate Pakistan’s bowlers by extending their partnership to 61 runs.
Right-arm pacer Mohammad Ali finally made the breakthrough in the fifth over of the day, deceiving Joseph with a slower delivery. The left-hander top-scored for West Indies with a brisk 38 from 27 deliveries, including four sixes and a four.
Roach eventually fell to Abbas in the 53rd over after lobbing a simple catch to Babar Azam at short cover. He scored a patient 18 from 63 deliveries.
No. 10 batter Jomel Warrican added to Pakistan’s frustration with a quickfire 14 from 20 balls before Abbas bowled him to finish with outstanding figures of 5/22 from 15.5 overs.
Abbas was well supported by fellow pacers Mohammad Ali and Khurram Shahzad, who claimed two wickets each, while Aamir Jamal chipped in with one.