21 hours ago
7
A superb batting display by Abdullah Shafique and Babar Azam has left Pakistan in firm control of the second Test against West Indies at the close of play on the second day in Port-of-Spain on Monday.
Shafique’s unbeaten 107 off 185 balls, coupled with captain Azam’s 86 not out off 126 balls, powered the visitors to a formidable 266 for two in reply to the West Indies’ total of 344 at the Queen’s Park Oval.
The pair has so far added 168 runs for the third wicket to put Pakistan on course to post a mammoth first innings total and give their side a hefty lead, as they trail by just 78 runs heading into Tuesday’s third day of play.
West Indies contributed to their own demise with their wayward bowling gifting Pakistan’s batsmen free runs, with wicket-taking deliveries few and far between.
The home side’s opening pace attack of Kemar Roach and Jayden Seales were surprisingly inconsistent, with Azan Awais hitting Roach for three consecutive boundaries in the third over of the innings.
Together with partner Imam-ul-Haq, they put on 34 runs inside eight overs, before Shamar Joseph produced a snorter off a good length that hit the top of his bat and ballooned to gully for Jomel Warrican to take an easy catch.
Awais continued to take advantage of the slack bowling on offer, hitting Joseph for four fours in the 12th over to move into the 40s, while Shafique wasted little time in joining in on the action by blasting Warrican for sixes in successive overs.
Awais eventually brought up his maiden Test half-century off 61 balls by driving Warrican down to long on for a single.
It was Warrican who broke their 64-run partnership, with the West Indies needing to review a lbw decision against Awais after he was initially given not out, to dismiss him for 55 and leave the score 98 for two.
Azam joined Shafique at the crease, and for the next three hours, they neutralised the home side’s passive bowling attack, which was without the services of first-match hero Justin Greaves.
The skipper showed his aggressive intent early on by bludgeoning Seales for three fours in the 24th over.
Pakistan went to tea at 139 for two, while scoring at just over four runs an over, and the same continued after the break, with Shafique getting to his seventh Test half-century off 79 balls with an exquisite straight drive off Roach for four.
Azam followed in the same vein by notching his 33rd half century, as Pakistan tightened their grip on the contest at 184 for two.
Azam was lucky not to have been dismissed almost immediately after, but Joseph failed to hold on to a difficult one-handed catch on the long-on boundary, with the ball going over the boundary ropes for six.
With the close of play looming, Shafique reached his sixth Test century by pulling Warrican to the midwicket boundary, his first time scoring three figures since 2024.
The duo then navigated the remaining overs of play to ensure Pakistan remained in complete control of the contest.
Earlier, resuming the day on 239 for five, the West Indies’ last five wickets added 104 runs, with spinner Sajid Khan responsible for three of them to fall.
Justin Greaves only added nine runs to his overnight score of 64 before driving a delivery from spinner Ali Usman straight into the hands of point.
Captain Roston Chase reached his 12th Test half-century and added 35 runs with Roach, until he was bowled off his pads by pacer Ubaid Shah for 70 to leave the Windies 304 for seven.
Khan then wrapped up the tail by dismissing Joseph, Roach and Seales, to end with figures of 4-85, while Shah (2-66), Mohammad Ali (2-67) and Ali Usman (2-80) took two wickets apiece.
CMC
Summarised scores
WEST INDIES 344 in 105.4 overs (Justin Greaves 73, Roston Chase 70, Brandon King 46, Shai Hope 29, Amir Jangoo 26, Kemar Roach 19, Tagenarine Chanderpaul 15, Kavem Hodge 10; Sajid Khan 4-85, Ubaid Shah 2-66, Mohammad Ali 2-67, Ali Usman 2-80).
PAKISTAN 266-2 in 66 overs (Abdullah Shafique 107 not out, Babar Azam 86 not out, Azan Awais 55, Imam-ul-Haq 14).
English (US) ·