Fri, 20 May 2011 - Pakistan vs West Indies, Pakistan Tour of West Indies 2011, 2nd Test - Bulletin

Pakistan level series with emphatic win

One thing that Pakistan have shown over the years is that they play their best cricket when they are looking down the barrel. Same was reiterated in five days of cricket at St Kitts with visitors beating West Indies by a huge margin of 196 runs to level the two match test series. Pakistan overcame a batting failure on the first day to dominate the rest of the match in what in the end turned out to be a lop-sided affair.

Pakistan win was largely fashioned out by the spin trio of Saeed Ajmal, Abdur Rehman and Mohammad Hafeez who shared 15 wickets between three of them to help their side to come back from 0-1 down in the series. Contrary to their first innings, Pakistan batted with some purpose with opener Taufeeq Umar and skipper Misbah-ul Haq notching up the centuries.

For Misbah led side, the St Kitts game had a more than one positive, tail performed to give some crucial runs in first innings, bowlers responded to a rather low total to secure an important lead of 49 runs, batsmen, finally coming to the party to set a mammoth fourth innings target for the home side and spinners doing exactly what they were expected to. Fielding too showed a palpable improvement as close in fielders hung on to sharp chances to support their bowlers who were all over the West Indies.

The home team was a total contrast to their opponents as their quest for an elusive series win literally slipped through their fingers. Catches were dropped regularly with skipper Daren Sammy and Darren Bravo grassing two crucial catches each to dent West Indies big time. Taufeeq was the major beneficiary dropped twice early in the innings to go on to make a test century after a long gap of eight years.

The batting, in absence of Shiv Chanderpaul, disappointed as inexperience in the lineup was evident. Ramnaresh Sarwan looked a batsman who has forgotten to how score runs and Brendan Nash didn’t do any wonders as well.

West Indies wilted when needed to step their game and seize crucial moments. They had Pakistan on ropes at 194 for 9 in the first innings but relaxed a great deal to let Pakistan to go past 250-mark. The match, as it panned out, turned out to be one with Pakistan having more desire to win than the home side. And, results do exactly that.

The fifth day morning turned out to be as Pakistan would have liked with Ajmal getting one to bounce and turn viciously to get an edge off Nash to be scalped by Taufeeq in the slips. And, Pakistan employed spinners on both ends and looked every ball would take ball.

Caulton Baugh decided to play with pad rather bat and paid a penalty with Rehman trapping him plumb infront. Sammy and Ravi Rampaul did please the crowd with some fireworks but Ajmal removed both of them. The run-out of Kemar Roach ended the match and signaled a clinical Pakistan victory.

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