Dubai: Pakistan outplayed Twenty20 world champions West Indies 2-0 in the three matches Twenty20 series.Sarfraz Ahmad-led Pakistan team followed up their nine wicket victory on Friday with another 16 runs victory over West Indies at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Saturday to take an unbeatable lead .
The inconsequential third and final T20 match of the series will be played in Abu Dhabi on September 27.
Sarfraz led from the front through an unbeaten knock of 46 runs and his 69 runs partnership in 7.4 overs with Shoaib Malek (37) for the fourth wicket to help Pakistan posted a challenging 160 for 4 in the second match.
Pakistan then restricted West Indies to 144 for 9 with three wicket spells from Sohail Tanvir (3 for 13) and Hasan Ali (3 for 49).
West Indies after winning toss had put Pakistan into bat. Opener Khalid Latif too chipped in with 40 runs after opener Sharjeel Khan fell in the third over of the innings from leg spinner Samuel Badree. He chopped the ball into the wicket for 2.
Babar Azam, fresh from his elegant unbeaten knock of 55 in the first Twenty20 match, joined Latif. The last ball of Badree’s wicket taking over was hit for a six by Latif over mid-wicket to announce that he is in form. This pair had put on an unbeaten 88 runs in the first Twenty20 match and batted as fluently as they did in that match.
When West Indies introduced Sunil Narine in the sixth over, Azam drove him through extra cover to the boundary. In the eight over, Latif and Azam took 13 runs off Dwayne Bravo’s over. Latif escaped being caught off the last ball from Bravo when Nicholas Pooran failed to hold on to a catch at deep backward square leg.
At a time when run began to flow, skipper Brathwaite introduced himself in the ninth over and dismissed Azam for 19. Azam hit straight to Kieron Pollard at long on after putting on 54 runs in 5.5 overs.
Shoaib Malek, who joined Latif also began to stroke freely and at the half way mark, Pakistan were 73 for 2. Driving Brathwaite through the covers, Malek picked his first boundary.
Latif, who was stroking beautifully got run out for 40 off a brilliant pick up and throw from Pooran from the deep backward square leg. Malek and Latif could add only 27 runs in 3.3 overs.
Sarfraz joined Malek with Pakistan needing some quick runs. Hitting Narine over extra cover for a boundary, Sarfraz began to pick the gaps. By the 15th over, Pakistan were 110 for 3.
With boundaries getting tough to come, Sarfraz and Malek began to nudge and run for their singles and doubles. Malek elegantly glanced pacer Jerome Taylor, who was introduced for his second spell, to the boundary. He also pulled him to mid-wicket for another boundary.
In the 18th over, Malek stepped out to lift Narine for a straight six. Sarfraz pulled Taylor to mid-wicket boundary to steer Pakistan past the 150 run mark. Teams batting first has won 10 out of 12 matches scoring 150 runs or more here. Malek fell in the last over from Bravo pulling into the hands of Pollard for 37.
Chasing the target, West Indies lost opener Johnson Charles in the third over. Imad Wasim forced him to lift him straight into the hands of Umar Akmal at long on for 10. Left-arm pacer Sohail Tanvir too struck in the next over to dismiss opener Evin Lewis caught comfortably by Sharjeel at slip. It was Tanvir’s 50th wicket in T20 International.
Marlon Samuels joined Andre Fletcher but lasted just five balls to score one run before edging Tanvir’s innocuous outgoing delivery into the hands of wicketkeeper Sarfraz for one run.
In walked Dwayne Bravo, who hit a fighting knock of 55 runs in the first Twenty20 match on Friday too lasted just 16 balls. Mohammad Nawaz clean bowled him for 18.
With asking rate climbing up to 12, Kieron Pollard walked in. Flecther hit Hasan Ali for a six over wide long on off the first ball of the 15th over but got bowled to next ball for 29. The pair had put 37 runs in 4.2 overs. Pollard too fell in the same over , top edging to wicketkeeper for 18 and Pakistan took a firm grip on the match .
