Kingston – Pakistan were 117 for four in their second innings against West Indies when rain stopped play and prompted an early tea on the third day of the first Test on Saturday at Sabina Park in Jamaica for a lead of 81.
Pacer Jayden Seales struck twice in the fourth over after lunch to set back the Pakistanis, but their captain Babar Azam, not out on 28, and Mohammad Rizwan, not out on 26, stabilised the innings with a stand of 52 – unbroken – for the fifth wicket.
Seales had opener Abid Ali caught at second slip for 34, essaying a cut, and left-hander Fawad Alam caught behind three balls later for a duck, groping outside the off-stump, to send Pakistan reeling on 65 for four.
But the Windies met a roadblock, when Rizwan came to the crease and batted through the remainder of the session with Azam until the rain interrupted about 20 minutes before the scheduled break.
Seales has so far taken 2-39 from nine overs, but fellow pacer Kemar Roach has been the pick of the home team’s bowlers with 2-12 from 11 overs.
The Test is the first of two between the teams in the Jamaica capital and it is being played behind closed doors because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It also marks the start of the new round of the ICC World Test Championship for the teams.
Summarised scores:
Pakistan 217 (Fawad Alam 56, Faheem Ashraf 44, Babar Azam 30, Mohammad Rizwan 23, Azhar Ali 17, Hasan Ali 14, Imran Butt 11; Jason Holder 3-26, Jayden Seales 3-70, Kemar Roach 2-47) and 117 for four (Abid Ali 31, Babar Azam 28 not out, Mohammad Rizwan 26 not out, Azhar Ali 23; Kemar Roach 2-12, Jayden Seales 2-39).
West Indies 253 (Kraigg Brathwaite 97, Jason Holder 58, Jermaine Blackwood 22, Roston Chase 21, Joshua da Silva 21, Kemar Roach 13; Shaheen Afridi 4-59, Mohammad Abbas 3-43).
(AR)
