On an easy Sunday afternoon in Kingston—under bright sunshine and encompassed by strong breeze—every push from the region’s team was met by a pull from the visitors. Leaving those of us who pen this great game, scrambling to put into words precisely the events which led to this first Test climaxing in the manner cricket purists desire every Test match to unfold.
The Sabina Park pitch was anything but fast. Yet, from Kemar Roach beating Imran Butt outside the off-stump with the fifth delivery of the very first over of the Test, to Roach himself guiding Hasan Ali through the covers three days later for the winning runs—there was movement on offer throughout.
Movement which swung the West Indies into the ascendancy early on the final day; allowing the Pakistanis—who started the day on 160/5, 124 runs ahead, and with a set Babar Azam at the crease—just 43 additional runs. The hosts now needing 168 runs for victory. However… there was movement on offer. And for Pakistan, there were Mohammad Abbas, Hasan Ali and Shaheen Shah Afridi available. The latter did indeed make his presence felt—removing the WINDIES top-three with a measly 16 runs on the board.
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