West Indian batting again lacked quality on the third day of the second Test of the Haier Cup series against Pakistan at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi yesterday.
Replying to Pakistan's first innings score of 452, the West Indies was bowled out for 224 under the wrist of legspinner Yasir Shah 4/86. The home team decided against enforcing the follow-on and rammed home the advantage by the close of play reaching 114 for one - an overall lead of 342 going into today's fourth day.
After their excellent work with the ball, the Pakistanis started their second innings with a lead of 228 runs. The West Indies continued their struggles batting second in Tests, as over their last six games, they have conceded 228 runs, 222, 128, 323, 280 and 360 on first innings.
Openers Sami Aslam and Azhar Ali seemed determined to bat the West Indies completely out the game, adding 93 runs for the first wicket, although they were each given out by the umpires, only to survive on reviews. When Aslam was finally given not out on 50, West Indies reviewed, and the decision was overturned. He faced 111 balls and struck five fours, before he gave Shannon Gabriel his sixth wicket of the match.
Azhar Ali, the man who knocked an unbeaten triple century in the opening Test is still there unbeaten on 52 that came of 102 balls with two fours.
West Indies started the morning on 106 for four and Pakistan was celebrating not long after, as Jermaine Blackwood drove away from his body to be caught behind for eight of Rahat Ali - giving the pacer his 50th Test wicket. Nightwatchman Devendra Bishoo defied the bowlers for a while batting into the second hour of the morning, before Sohail Khan breached his defence. He made 20 and fell with the score at 144, having negotiated 66 balls.
Roston Chase and Shai Hope stuck it out until lunch, taking the West Indies to 151 for six. The visitors added 45 runs for the loss of two wickets in the session.
Post lunch, Chase and Hope continued to soak up the pressure, taking the score to 169 before the former slashed at a good length ball from Yasir Shah and left for 22 of 80 deliveries. Hope was the man well set and immediately after driving Shah beautifully to the cover boundary, he was bowled next ball. No fault of his, he saw a half tracker from Shah and went onto the back foot looking to pull him through mid wicket, however the ball kept low and he heard the dreaded sound of timber falling behind him. He made 11, trudging off a forlorn figure, as he promised much more.
Skipper Holder was unbeaten on 31 as the West Indies failed to beat the follow-on mark of 253. But it did not matter in the end as Pakistan opted to bat a second time.
, getting an unbeaten 31 but they fell short. Shah was well supported by Rahat Ali (3/45) and Sohail (2/35).
Scoreboard
?West Indies vs Pakistan
Pakistan 1st inns 452 all out
WI 1st inns (overnight 106/4)
L Johnson lbw Rahat 12
D Bravo lbw Yasir 43
K Brathwaite run out 21
M Samuels c Aslam b Rahat 30
D Bishoo b Sohail Khan 20
J Blackwood c Sarfarz b Rahat 8
R Chase c Shafiq b Shah 22
S Hope b Shah 11
J Holder not out 31
M Cummins b Khan 3
S Gabriel c Sohail b Shah 13
Extras 2b, 7lb, 1w 10
Total all out 223
Fall of wkts: 27, 65, 106, 106, 121, 144, 169, 178, 197, 223.
Bowling: Rahat Ali 21-8-45-3, Sohail Khan 19-8-35-2, Zulfiqar Babar 21-6-39-0, Asad Shafiq 1-0-2-0, Yasir Shah 28.4-6-86-4, M Nawaz 4-1-8-0.
Pakistan 2nd inns
S Aslam c Hope b Gabriel 50
A Ali not out 52
A Shafiq not out 5
Extras b4, lb1, nb2 7
Total for 1 wkt 114
Fall of wkts: 93.
Bowling: S Gabriel 8-1-21-1 (2nb), M Cummins 3-0-5-0, K Brathwaite 13-2-27-0, D Bishoo 12-0-45-0, J Holder 3-0-11-0.
