KINGSTON: Thanks to Shaheen Afridi’s career-best numbers, Pakistan came closer to winning the second Test after setting West Indies 329 to win as the visitors look to square the series at Sabina Park.
West Indies will begin Tuesday’s last day at 49 for one, 280 runs short of the mark, as Pakistan attempts to square the series after losing the first Test by one wicket at the same venue.
The visitors dominated the fourth day of play, with Shaheen Shah Afridi claiming Test-best innings figures of six for 51 as the West Indies were thrashed for 150 in the first innings shortly after the lunch break.
Building on a healthy 152-run lead, Pakistan threw caution to the wind, racing to 176 for six at better than a run-a-ball pace through the afternoon, declaring for the second time in the match when captain Babar Azam was dismissed to give their bowlers more than 90 minutes to attack the home side’s top order.
The West Indies opening combination of skipper Kraigg Brathwaite and Kieran Powell, on the other hand, were navigating that potentially problematic time with ease until Powell was run out as a result of his own recklessness in completing a third run.
It was up to Brathwaite and Alzarri Joseph, the nightwatchman for the second day in a row, to bring the day to an end.
Resuming at 39 for three in reply to the tourists’ first innings total of 302 for nine declared, the host side lost their last six wickets for 45 runs to be dismissed soon after noon as 21-year-old Shaheen extended his dominance over the Caribbean batters to 14 wickets in the series.
“For me, it was just maintaining a solid line throughout since we always felt we had a chance with the help of the other bowlers,” Shaheen explained.
As well as Shaheen bowled, it was Mohammad Abbas who precipitated the key collapse with a three-wicket burst in the final half-hour of the morning session, as the West Indies fell from 105 for four to 116 for eight.
Abbas, who had gone wicketless prior to that session, made up by dismissing topscorer Nkrumah Bonner (37) and Kyle Mayers off consecutive balls before dismissing Joshua da Silva in the last over before lunch.
Shaheen, who quickly dispatched nightwatchman Joseph at the start of the day, joined the lunchtime clatter of wickets by having Jermaine Blackwood caught at gully by a diving Fawad Alam.
Bonner and Blackwood put up 60 for the fifth wicket during the only spell of play when the Pakistan bowlers seemed frustrated.
Their efforts were not sustained, and after taking the opening two wickets of the innings late on the third day, Shaheen ended Jason Holder’s brave hitting and had Kemar Roach caught at mid-on to finish an efficient mopping up job in the early afternoon.
Abid Ali and Imran Butt, buoyed by their 152-run advantage at the outset of the second innings, unleashed a 70-run blitz in the 10th over.
Both fell before tea, but Pakistan pressed on, even promoting Hasan Ali to offer some big punches, although being thwarted by aggressive West Indies tactics that earned Brathwaite a harsh warning from umpire Joel Wilson.