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It was the start of midnight in Pakistan as the calendar was just to turn the date. Fans of a 220m population country were awaking once again to see their home side continue their good streak in West Indies. They were happy as Pakistan’s bowling department was doing well and as Kyle Mayers lost his wicket to Shaheen Afridi, Carribeans were 159/7 while chasing a 329 runs target.
Fans’ expectations increased. They believed that their side was going to level the ongoing West Indies Pakistan series. Interestingly, there came a factor that had drawn three out of the four T20Is between both sides, earlier in the T20I series between both teams, and Pakistani fans wondered why this factor is always against them? This factor was the rain that had blurred visitors hopes of leveling a West Indies Pakistan series.
The Build-up to the final session
West Indies won the toss and invited visitors to bat first on a Sabina Garden track that was going to help seamers. Kemar Roach and Seales started the proceedings with utmost brutality as three top-order batters of the visitors went back to the pavilion when Pakistan had reached just 2. Babar Azam and Fawad Alam produced a decent stand of 158 before the latter retired hurt.
Fawad Alam came on to bat again on the 3rd day as rain washed out the second day’s play and went on to score a century, his 4th since his return to the national side after 11 years. West Indies got all out for just 150 on day 4, in reply to Pakistan’s 302 runs total in the first inning. Shaheen Afridi got 6 scalps for just 51 runs.
Pakistan scored quick runs in the afternoon session as they posted 176/6 in just 27.2 overs and asked hosts to chase their 329 runs target in almost 30 overs. West Indies reached 49/1 at the end of the day 4. Batsmen got starts but nobody could convert his 20s and 30s into 70s and 80s and team lost 7 wickets before rain interrupted play just after half of the afternoon session had been played.
An easy victory for Pakistan
Play started again after the tea had been taken and Jason Holders kept the bowlers on the edge and produced a 40-run stand at no.8 alongside Da Silva. Shaheen dismissed Roach on the last delivery of the 82nd over and came back in his next over to send last West Indian back towrads the pavilion to hand an easy and comprehensive victory to Pakistan against West Indies.
Improved rankings
Shaheen Shah Afridi got 10 wickets for 94 in the second test and became the 8th best bowler in the test match cricket. His team-mate, Fawad Alam, scored an unbeaten knock of 124 despite of some fitness problems and became world’s 21st best test batsman in the world. Earlier, Pakistan team selectors and management had kept on discarding him from their country’s 21 best batsmen’s list. Babar Azam, who scored the most number of runs (193) in the series, has been promoted for one position up while Mohammad Rizwan has entered top 20 as he is at 19th position in the list of top batters after this recent West Indies-Pakistan series.
