Chase guides West Indies past Pakistan to level ODI series
TAROUBA, Trinidad (CMC) — Led by standout performances from Roston Chase, Sherfane Rutherford and Jayden Seales on Sunday, the West Indies claimed a crucial five-wicket win via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method over Pakistan, in the second One-Day International, to level the three-match series 1-1.
Seales grabbed three wickets to lead an impressive bowling display at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy, and when the final set of showers eventually brought an end to Pakistan’s innings after just 37 overs, they had laboured to 171 for seven.
The visitors gave themselves an outside chance of victory by snaring three early wickets, but Player of the Match Chase finished one run short of a second-successive half-century and Rutherford scored a brisk 45 as the Windies, set a revised target of 181 in 35 overs, reached 184 for five with 10 balls to spare.
The win catapulted the West Indies past Bangladesh into ninth position in the ICC ODI rankings — the final automatic qualification spot for the 2027 Cricket World Cup.
Pakistan were given a decent, if not whirlwind start by openers Abdullah Shafique and Saim Ayub, who put on 37 runs for the first wicket.
But Seales struck twice in his fifth over — first having Ayub caught at first slip by Justin Greaves for 23 and then bowling the dangerous Babar Azam for a three-ball duck — to put West Indies in control.
When the first rain interruption came, Pakistan had limped to 60 for two in 16 overs.
Almost immediately after the hour-long break Jediah Blades had Shafique caught at fine leg for 26, and when left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie trapped Captain Mohammad Rizwan lbw for 16, Pakistan had slumped to 88 for four in the 22nd over.
Hussain Talat tried his best to revive the innings in his knock of 31 off 32 balls, but when he was well caught low down by wicketkeeper Shai Hope off the bowling of Chase and Salma Agha went after — gloving a catch to the keeper of Shamar Joseph without a run added — Pakistan was in serious trouble at 114 for six.
Hasan Nawaz hit an unbeaten 36 off 30 balls with three huge sixes, and together with Shaheen Afridi, who finished on 11 not out, helped the visitors boost their total until the rains came again to bring an abrupt halt to their innings.
Needing to score at just over five runs an over, the West Indies found themselves in a spot of bother after fast bowler Hasan Ali had both Brandon King and Evin Lewis caught behind with just 12 runs on the board.
Keacy Carty endured a nightmare at the crease, needing 42 balls for his 16 runs before spinner Abrar Ahmed bowled him to put him out of his misery and leave the Windies 48 for three in the 13th over.
But skipper Hope and Rutherford came together in a 54-run partnership for the fourth wicket that put the home side back in the ascendancy.
Rutherford was savage from the start, clobbering Afridi for a six and two fours off consecutive deliveries in the 17th over.
Spinner Salma Agha was treated even worse in the ensuing over that went for 20 runs, with Rutherford blasting him for two sixes and two fours to move into the 40s and carry the West Indies past the 100 mark.
Pakistan fought back, dismissing both within five runs, with Mohammad Nawaz having Hope stumped for 32 off 35 balls. Rutherford, meanwhile, was caught at midwicket off the same bowler to be out for 45 off 33 balls, laced with four fours and three sixes, as the home side slipped to 107 for five.
However Chase, who scored 53 in the opening ODI, found a solid partner in Justin Greaves, and the pair shared an unbroken stand of 77 off 72 balls to carry their side to victory.
The final match of the series is set for Tuesday.
SCOREBOARD
Pakistan
Saim Ayub c Greaves b Seales 23
Abdullah Shafique c Motie b Blades 26
Babar Azam b Seales 0
*+Mohammad Rizwan lbw b Motie 16
Hussain Talat c +Hope b Joseph 31
Salman Agha c +Hope b Joseph 9
Hasan Nawaz not out 36
Mohammad Nawaz c Motie b Seales 5
Shaheen Afridi not out 11
Extras (b2, nb1, w11) 14
Total (seven wickets; 37 overs) 171
Did not bat: Hasan Ali, Abrar Ahmed.
Fall of wickets: 1-37, 2-37, 3-64, 4-88, 5-114, 6-114, 7-143
Bowling: Seales 7-2-23-3, Blades 7-0-46-1, Joseph 7-1-27-1, Motie 8-0-31-1,
Greaves 2-0-16-0, Chase 6-0-26-1
West Indies
Brandon King c +Rizwan b Ali 1
Evin Lewis c +Rizwan b Ali 7
Keacy Carty b Ahmed 16
*+Shai Hope st +Rizwan b M Nawaz 32
Sherfane Rutherford c Shafique b M Nawaz 45
Roston Chase not out 49
Justin Greaves not out 26
Extras (lb8) 8
Total (five wickets; 33.2 overs) 184
Did not bat: Gudakesh Motie, Shamar Joseph, Jayden Seales, Jediah Blades
Fall of wickets: 1-11, 2-12, 3-48, 4-102, 5-107
Bowling: Afridi 6-0-35-0, Ali 6.2-1-35-2, Ahmed 7-0-23-1, M Nawaz 7-0-17-2,
Ayub 4-0-33-0, Agha 3-0-33-0
Result: West Indies won by five wickets to level the three-match series at 1-1.
Player of the Match: Roston Chase
Umpires: Zahid Bassarath, Sharfuddoula
TV umpire: Allahuddien Paleker
Reserve umpire: Leslie Reifer
Match referee: Richie Richardson
