Composed Brathwaite puts West Indies on verge of lead

1.1921970-4124125174 — West Indies' batsman Kraigg Brathwaite plays a shot on the fourth day of the second Test between Pakistan and the West Indies at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Image Credit: AFP

Sharjah: Calm should have been Kraigg Brathwaite’s middle name. Known for his patience, Brathwaite displayed that trait and has positioned West Indies on the verge of gaining a lead on the second day of the third and final Test match against Pakistan at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. They are just 37 runs behind Pakistan’s total of 281 with four wickets in hand.

Brathwaite’s statuesque calmness at the crease has fetched him an unbeaten 95 runs, batting most of the day and facing 206 balls and hitting ten boundaries.

West Indies needed such patience from their batsmen but after their four top order batsmen fell for 68 runs, Brathwaite, through an 83-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Roston Chase (50) and another 83-run partnership with Shane Dowrich (47) for the sixth wicket, has placed West Indies in a position to put Pakistan under pressure. Twenty-three-year-old Brathwaite, who has a double century in Tests to his credit, picked the right ball to hit and handled the guiles of Pakistan spinners with brilliance.

Pakistan had to battle hard after they were bowled out for a score below 300. In fact, it is the first time since 1990 that Pakistan could not muster more than 300 against West Indies in the first innings.

West Indies took 7.5 overs to get Pakistan all out as Mohammad Amir (20) and Yasir Shah (12) fought hard to add 32 for the ninth wicket. Alzarri Joseph dismissed both Amir and Shah in the 91st over.

West Indies went out to bat with the psychological advantage of having restricted Pakistan to below 300. Cheered by hundreds of school children, Pakistan pacers Amir and Wahab Riaz bowled quick and picked the wicket of Leon Johnson in the fourth over. Riaz’s inswinger was accurate and hit him on the pads, forcing Johnson to walk off without even referring to the umpire’s decision.

Pakistan introduced their strike bowler Yasir Shah in the 11th over but it was Zulfikar, who struck in the 12th over with the third ball of his first over. He removed the dangerman Darren Bravo, who tried to hit over the top and Amir at cover ran back and dived full length to take his first catch in Test cricket.

Shah too did not have to wait long to get his first wicket. He trapped Marlon Samuels leg before for a duck with a quicker ball. West Indies went in for an uncomfortable lunch with the score reading 38 for 3.

Jermaine Blackwood and opener Kraigg Brathwaite added 30 runs for the fourth wicket before Amir, who replaced Shah in the 23rd over, produced a classic angling delivery to dismiss Blackwood (23), who played the delivery away from his body and Asad Shafiq at gully took the catch.

Next man Roston Chase joined Brathwaite and what followed was an intense battle. Their fifty-run partnership came in 17 overs and Brathwaite reached his 12th Test half century.

The session between lunch and tea belonged to West Indies as they batted cautiously. They scored 103 runs in the 30 overs bowled during that phase. Needing 140 more runs to reach Pakistan’s score, they entered the last session.

Chase reached his maiden fifty hitting Shah for a six over long-on but Amir ended his knock forcing him to edge to Younis Khan who took a tumbling catch at slip. Next man Shane Dowrich too held on to hit 47 runs before playing Riaz on to his wicket.

Scoreboard at close on the second day of the third and final Test between Pakistan and West Indies at Sharjah stadium on Monday:

Pakistan first innings (overnight 255-8)

Sami Aslam c Holder b Bishoo 74

Azhar Ali c Brathwaite b Gabriel 0

Asad Shafiq lbw b Gabriel 0

Younis Khan c Johnson b Chase 51

Misbah-ul-Haq c Dowrich b Bishoo 53

Sarfraz Ahmad b Gabriel 51

Mohammad Nawaz st Dowrich b Bishoo 6

Wahab Riaz lbw b Bishoo 4

Yasir Shah b Joseph 12

Mohammad Amir b Joseph 20

Zulfiqar Babar not out 1

Extras: (lb4, nb4, w1) 9

Total: (all out; 90.5 overs) 281

Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Ali), 2-1 (Shafiq), 3-107 (Younis), 4-150 (Aslam), 5-230 (Misbah), 6-242 (Nawaz), 7-248 (Ahmed), 8-248 (Riaz), 9-280 (Amir), 10-281 (Yasir Shah)

Bowling: Gabriel 21-1-67-3 (2nb), Joseph 16.5-5-57-2 (2nb, 1w), Holder 12-4-29-0, Chase 20-5-47-1, Bishoo 21-3-77-4

West Indies first innings

K. Brathwaite not out 95

L. Johnson lbw b Riaz 1

D. Bravo c Amir b Babar 11

M. Samuels lbw b Shah 0

J. Blackwood c Shafiq b Amir 23

R. Chase c Younis b Amir 50

S. Dowrich b Riaz 47

J. Holder not out 6

Extras: (lb6, nb5) 11

Total: (for six wkts; 78 overs) 244