Umpire Hair Helps as Windies Batsmen Stumble

Just when Carl Hooper's bowlers gave signs they could actually compete on the same level with the rampaging Pakistanis, the batsmen again stumbled in the final session of day two to relinquish the momentum and leave the West Indies staring at another huge first innings mountain.

AUDIO REPORT: BBC's Chris Florence (RealPlayer required).

The latest batting hiccup left the West Indies struggling at 164 for four in reply to Pakistan's mammoth 472 but things could have been worse, if not for some decent bowling by Cameron Cuffy, Merv Dillon and Dinanath Ramnarine.

The West Indies would also be stewing over another bad umpiring error that saw the end of Shiv Chanderpaul, caught at the bat/pad position when replays clearly showed the ball came off his boot. When Australian umpire Darrell Hair raised the dreaded finger to signal the end of Chanderpaul, it was clear Murphy's Law had completely enveloped this hard-luck West Indies team.

Cameron Cuffy

After all, with Pakistan resuming at 344/3 on a bone-dry wicket, it looked like another long day was beckoning but an incisive spell of fast bowling by the hard-working Dillon helped keep things in check. Dillon, who finished with figures of 27-6-63-2, combined with Cuffy 4/82 and
Ramnarine 3/137 to restrict Pakistan to 472 all out.

The West Indies trail by 308 runs with 6 wickets in hand.

Things would have been much better if not for a top order collapse that has now become maddeningly familiar. After Chris Gayle was out, bowled by Shoaib Akhtar for six with the score on 19, Darren Ganga and Wavell Hinds played positively to take the score to 88 before Pakistan's spinners started to do magic with the ball.

Off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq mesmerised Hinds and bowled him around his legs for 25 from 46 balls and things got ugly in a hurry for the West Indies. Ganga, in rare fluent form, reached 50 from just 56 balls, his second half-century in 15 Tests. He reached 65 before a faster ball from Afridi knocked back his stumps.

Skipper Hooper, also troubled by the spin of Mushtaq, batted cautiously to be unbeaten on 40 from 64 balls. He was at the other end when Chanderpaul got shafted by umpire Hair and was able to coax night-watchman Merv Dillon through the final overs.

FULL SCORECARD, courtesy BBC Sports.