Windies Waqared: Another Batting Collapse

Pakistan captain and ace fast bowler Waqar Younis inspired a West Indies first innings collapse on Sunday's fourth day of the opening Test to ensure the visitors would once again face a difficult struggle to save a Test on foreign soil on Monday's final day.

Promisingly placed at 325 for five overnight, the 33-year-old Waqar broke the excellent century partnership between Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ryan Hinds and the last five West Indies wickets tumbled for 14 runs in the morning session.

Waqar took four wickets for eight runs in the space of 31 deliveries as the West Indies folded for 366, conceding a lead of 127.

With the confidence of such a formidable advantage, Pakistan's batsmen played some dashing strokes to amass 214 for six before they declared late in the day.

Left an unlikely victory target of 342, the West Indies survived a testing 40 minutes to close to reach 24 without loss.

When the day started, a draw seemed the likeliest result. Chanderpaul and Hinds confirmed that opinion by pushing the total to 352 for five in the first half hour with the same untroubled strokeplay that dominated their stand the previous afternoon.

But Waqar was to change things dramatically in less than an hour. He removed Chanderpaul and Hinds in successive overs and, after the comical run out of Mervyn Dillon, Waqar rapidly wrapped up the innings with the wickets of Cameron Cuffy and Ridley Jacobs.

Chanderpaul added four boundaries to his five overnight before he dragged Waqar back onto his stumps. The 27-year-old Guyanese made 66 off 157 deliveries in just under four hours.

His sixth wicket stand with debutant Hinds was worth 121.

Hinds soon followed for an impressive 62 off 131 balls with seven fours. The 20-year-old Barbadian top-edged a pull high into the leg side where wicket-keeper Rashid Latif pouched an easy catch.

Waqar sensed the kill, and soon, Dillon committed circuiting suicide to be run out by a yard when he was sent back by Jacobs as he tried to seek a non-existent run after a push into the off side.

Waqar earned his 50th wicket in 12 Tests against the West Indies with an inswinger that clipped Cuffy's leg stump, and took his tally to 348 in 77 Tests when Jacobs' top-edged hook ended up in the safe hands of Danish Kaneka at fine leg.

Pakistan were always going to be in hurry-up mode in their second innings and West Indies skipper Carl Hooper conceded this from early with ultra-defensive fields.

But it did little to curb the Pakistanis as everyone contributed to a run rate of close to four an over.

Inzamam-ul-Haq topscored with 48 off 56 balls before one of the first innings century-making heroes, Rashid Latif revved things up with four boundaries in a dazzling, unbeaten 47 off 41 balls. Dillon was again the pick of the bowlers with two for 46 off 17 intelligent overs.

The lanky Trinidadian also picked up the catch of the match, running 15 yards back from extra cover to hold onto Yousuf Youhana's lofted drive off Cuffy.

The rest of the West Indians did not set such high standards in the field, wicket-keeper Ridley Jacobs missing his diving effort at Inzamam's edge off the luckless Pedro Collins when the heavy-set right-hander was just 15.

Ryan Hinds also let one slip in the deep off Abdur Razzaq's lofted drive off Dillon. But, by then, the West Indies knew that their main assignment would be for their batsmen.

Daren Ganga and Chris Gayle passed the first quiz, under the lights which had been on since just after tea because of the dull, overcast conditions.

Ganga stroked three fluent fours to end 19 not out, while Gayle was unbeaten on five.

* SOURCE: West Indies Cricket Board.