Pakistan seize advantage after Windies costly blemishes
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) – Three wickets in the final session helped West Indies claw their way back after three earlier blemishes had put Pakistan firmly in control of the second Test at Kensington Oval here yesterday.
Replying to West Indies’ first innings of 312 all out, Pakistan finished the second day of the pivotal contest on 172 for three – 140 runs adrift of the lead.
Prolific opener Azhar Ali was already in sight of triple figures unbeaten on 81 and was partnered by captain Misbah-ul-Haq on seven.
Right-handed opener Ahmed Shehzad lived a charmed life for his 70, benefiting from three chances before becoming one of two wickets to fall to leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo who finished with two for 53.
The Caribbean side had earlier squandered the opportunity to build a sizeable first innings lead when they lost their last four wickets for 26 runs to be dismissed for 312, 65 minutes before lunch.
Disappointingly, neither overnight batsmen – century-maker Roston Chase nor captain Jason Holder – managed to add to their scores, falling within the first nine balls of the morning.
Holder, unbeaten on 58 at the start, perished to the day’s third delivery when he edged one from seamer Mohammad Abbas and was caught by wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed.
Six balls later in the following over, Chase edged left-arm seamer Mohammad Amir low to Younis Khan at second slip, to depart for 131.