Sat, 23 Apr 2011 - Pakistan vs West Indies, Pakistan Tour of West Indies 2011, 1st ODI - Bulletin

Clinical Pakistan win series opener

Pakistan produced one of its better batting performances in the recent times as they hauled a target of 222 runs without much of sweat to win a series opener in an emphatic style. This comes after Pakistan bowlers had restricted West Indies to a rather low score as home team displayed a shoddy and stingless batting display.

With Pakistan messing up some chases in recent times, West Indies would have taken heart from the fact that the visitors floundered to get an easy target in the t-20 international two days but Pakistan batsmen appeared more resolute and assured off themselves to see their side through without hiccups.

Mohammad Hafeez, Asad Shafiq and Misbah-ul Haq all scored classy fifties to help their side to a comprehensive eight wicket with nine overs to spare.

After losing both openers who gave team a solid start to impressive leg spinner Devendra Bishoo, Asad and Misbah put up a risk free partnership of 134 to make sure target was achieved without any further dramas.

Openers Hafeez and Shahzad started in some style as both played some gorgeous strokes to get the chase away. Hafeez, in particular, was stroking everything from middle as his cover drives and pull shots stood out while his younger partner Shehzad played some neat strokes before succumbing to a beautiful leg break from Bishoo dragging batsmen out of his crease to have right hander stumped out.

Hafeez though continued with his aggressive style as he deposited leg spinner into square boundary to bring up his half century but bowler had a sweet revenge soon. Hafeez chipped one to midwicket to end his 45-ball 54 continuing with his same old problem of not able to play big innings after making good and slid starts.

With two wickets falling in a quick time, West Indies might have a thought they had a chance to surprise Pakistan twice in three days but Misbah-Asad partnership made sure it wasn’t a case. It was intent of both these batsmen to score runs that was missing when Windies were batting that put bowling side on backfoot as pair mustered runs with all the ease in the world.

Misbah was aggressive of the two as he straight drove and pulled beautifully during his not out 73 coming off 90 balls including a six. Youngster who is enhancing his reputation after every outing appeared to be calm as cucumber at the crease as he played some pretty cut shots and flicks to bring his third ODI fifty.

West Indies, on the other hand, lacked venom in the bowling to create wicket taking chances as Pakistan rolled past them to have nice win under their belt in the first match of the series.

West Indies inexperienced batting lineup huffed and puffed to a score of 221 with as home team batsmen were strangulated by the Pakistan spinner. Had it not for Skipper Darren Sammy late cameo, the story would have been murkier as Caribbean batsmen lacked urgency during the majority of the fifty overs.

There was no attempt to go after spinners as spin trio of Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Hafeez and Shahid Afridi bowled their overs without West Indies batsmen scoring much of them. To their credit, Pakistan spinners bowled beautifully with off spinner Ajmal’s well disguised variations, doosras in particular, were hard for batsmen to pick. Such was the lack of intent from the Windies to attack the slow blowers that boundary-less period spanned for in 26 overs from 17th to 43rd over as spinners had a total control over the proceedings.

Winning the toss, home team lost Devon Smith early to off spin of Hafeez in the seventh over and went into submissions as it took nearly twelve overs for 2nd wicket partnership of 37 runs between Lendl Simmons and Darren Bravo.

Simmons slow inning of 24 runs was ended courtesy an Ajmal doosra having right hander searching for the ball as debutant wicketkeeper Salman Ahmad whipped the bails off to have batsman stumped. While Bravo struggle to score quickly continued, Marlon Samuels playing his fist ODI after completing his two year ban for his involvement in match fixing never looked at ease during his 19-ball 2.

His listless stay finally came to and when his partner Darren declined to go for a run as he failed to beat direct hit for the Salman who had a decent debut behind the stumps. Young Bravo combined with young batsman Kirk Edwards to put up 59 for the fourth wicket coming at a slow pace with both of having no answers to the spinners.

Bravo did manage to hit a four and six but was soon run out for 67 that consuming as many as 109 balls as his elder brother Dwayne Bravo got out in pursuit of getting some quick runs.

It needed a 15 ball 29 from the skipper to give some impetus to the innings as he hit two fours and three sixes ending a lethargic batting display on a high.

Ajmal was at his menacing best conceding only 24 runs in his ten while Hafeez was also frugal as only 36 runs were scored off his quota of ten overs.

Debutant pacer Junaid Khan had a good day with the ball but was wicketless in his ten while his new ball bowling partner and more experienced Wahab Riaz despite taking two wickets was very expensive. He conceded too many extras with 62 runs scored off his ten overs.