Windies strike back – Lead Pakistan by 100 runs in first Test
GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) — Debutant leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo snatched four wickets as West Indies dismissed Pakistan cheaply to wrest the initiative on the second day of the opening Test here yesterday.
The right-armer, bowling in familiar conditions at the National Stadium at Providence, finished with four for 68 to send the tourists tumbling for a paltry 160, in reply to West Indies’ 226.
At the close, however, West Indies were struggling in their second innings at 34 for two — a lead of 100 runs — with opener Devon Smith (one) and Darren Bravo (eight) already back in the pavilion.
On a day when 13 wickets tumbled for 211 runs, Bishoo kept the Windies out front in the low-scoring encounter, triggering a collapse which saw Pakistan crash from 57 for one to 80 for six, losing five wickets for 23 runs in the space of 12.5 overs.
He was helped by pacer Ravi Rampaul who claimed three for 27, while captain Darren Sammy earned two for 16 with his medium pace, as Pakistan failed to recover despite an unbeaten 40 from Abdur Rehman, 34 from Azhar Ali and 33 from Umar Akmal.
Earlier, Kemar Roach and Bishoo extended their last-wicket stand to 28 as the Windies consumed eight overs in the morning session after resuming at 209 for nine.
Roach struck 24 with three fours before prodding Saeed Ajmal to Azhar Ali at short leg, giving the off-spinner figures of five for 69.
West Indies then found success early when Rampaul bowled Mohammad Hafeez for four with the score on five, as the right-hander offered an indecisive stroke to play on in the second over of the innings.
Pakistan rebuilt, however, and there was no sign of the carnage to come when Taufeeq Umar (19) and Azhar Ali added 52 for the second wicket, reaching the safety of 45 for one at lunch.
Once the left-handed Taufeeq fell at 57 for two, lbw to one angled in from Sammy after adding just six to his lunch time 13, the innings collapsed dramatically.
Three runs later, captain Misbah-ul-Haq was palpably lbw to Bishoo on the back foot for two and Azhar Ali was bowled in the next over from Sammy, offering no shot.
Asad Shafiq (two) survived an initial lbw appeal off Bishoo but a referral saw the decision reversed while Mohammad Salman (four) was given out lbw, but did not survive a challenge to the third umpire.
Tottering on 80 for six, Pakistan were bailed out by a 50-run, seventh-wicket stand between Abdur Rehman and Umar Akmal, which frustrated the hosts.
Abdur Rehman struck four fours in a defiant knock from 104 balls, while Akmal faced 75 balls and struck four fours before top edging a pull at an innocuous delivery from Bishoo, to give wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh a simple catch.
Rampaul cleaned up the tail with help from Roach to secure West Indies a 66-run first innings lead.
West Indies failed to get the start they needed, however, when Devon Smith pushed forward to the first ball from off-spinner Mohammed Hafeez and was adjudged lbw for one with the score on three at the start of the second over of the innings.
Darren Bravo followed him soon after in similar fashion, as he too, missed one from Ajmal to be lbw.
In-form Lendl Simmons carried the Windies fight at the close with 15 not out.