Pakistan have taken command of the opening Test against the West Indies at the end of the second day, thanks mainly to the efforts of pacer Mohammad Ali and top-order batter Shan Masood.
Ali grabbed four of the seven West Indies wickets to fall and orchestrated a middle-order collapse that saw the home side lose their last five wickets for just 54 runs, to be bowled out for 311 shortly after lunch on Sunday.
Masood then stroked an unbeaten 88 off 113 balls to lead a spirited response from the visitors, who finished the day on 199 for three, just 112 runs adrift of the Windies’ first innings total.
Resuming the day in a relatively comfortable position of 194 for three, the West Indies suffered an immediate setback when Kavem Hodge added just one run to his overnight 83 before losing his wicket in the day’s third over, edging a delivery from Khurram Shahzad to Salma Agha at second slip.
His overnight partner Shai Hope didn’t take long to gather the 11 runs needed for a seventh Test half-century, doing so in 113 balls by edging Ali through slip to collect two runs.
He should have been dismissed two balls later, but Azan Awais put down a straightforward catch at first slip.
Justin Greaves executed three glorious drives through the offside and looked in good nick until he edged Ali straight into the hands of Agha, to leave the score 231 for five.
Mohammad Abbas ended captain Roston Chase’s brief stay at the crease by having him caught behind for 10 and when Kemar Roach was undone by a short delivery from Shahzad that he could only fend to slip to be dismissed for three, the Windies had stuttered to 274 for seven.
Shamar Joseph executed some thrilling shots, including an exquisite cover drive for four, and together with Hope carried their side to lunch at 303 for seven.
But the innings unravelled 15 minutes after the resumption, with Ali bouncing out Joseph for 23 off 13 balls, before claiming the prized wicket of Hope by way of the lbw route for 92, after he had faced 182 balls and struck six fours and one six.
Ali then bowled last man Jayden Seales to finish with figures of 4-50, while Abbas took 3-63 and Shahzad 2-66.
Pakistan got off to a nightmare start in their run chase when Kemar Roach bowled Awais through the gates for a duck in the third over, picking up his 301st Test wicket in the process.
However, for the next two and a half hours, Masood and Imam-ul-Haq dispatched the West Indies’ bowlers to all parts of the ground in a batting display usually seen in One Day Internationals.
Roach, along with fellow pacers Jayden Seales and Shamar Joseph, were guilty of often being too short or wide, and Masood and ul-Haq made them pay dearly.
Masood rode his luck at times, with several drives going either wide or over the slip corridor, with Jomel Warrican just getting his fingertips to a ball that flashed past gully.
It didn’t take him long to reach his 15th Test half-century, doing so in just 46 balls with a single to cover off Joseph.
They scored at close to six runs an over at times, and by tea had raced to 96 for one off 19 overs.
Ul-Haq reached his 11th Test half-century off 81 balls after the break by driving Roach through cover for four, as the pair continued to dominate the home side’s bowling.
Joseph eventually got the breakthrough when ul-Haq’s outside edge was superbly snatched up at wide first slip by Greaves, to dismiss him for 63 off 102 balls and break the 155-run partnership.
Seales then added a late wicket when he had captain Babar Azam caught behind for 23, to leave the score 197 for three.
Masood ended the day unbeaten on 88 off 137 balls, inclusive of 11 fours, with Agha yet to score.
CMC
Summarised scores
WEST INDIES 311 in 98.5 overs (Shai Hope 92, Kavem Hodge 84, Shamar Joseph 23, Tagenarine Chanderpaul 21, Amir Jangoo 21, Justin Greaves 15, Brandon King 12, Roston Chase 10; Mohammad Ali 4-50, Mohammad Abbas 3-63, Khurram Shahzad 2-66).
PAKISTAN 199-3 in 48 overs (Shan Masood 88 not out, Imam-ul-Haq 63, Babar Azam 23).
Toss: West Indies elected to bat.
Position: Pakistan trail West Indies by 112 runs with seven wickets remaining.
Umpires: Alex Wharf, Richard Kettleborough.
TV Umpire: Jayaraman Madanagopal.
Reserve Umpire: Zahid Bassarath.
Match Referee: Jeff Crowe.
