Kingston – West Indies failed to build on an explosive start, and Pakistan captain Babar Azam and left-hander Fawad Alam wore them down with purposeful half-centuries to guide their side to 212 for four in the second Test in Jamaica.
Kemar Roach and fellow pacer Jayden Seales left the Pakistanis tottering on two runs for three wickets after the first 20 minutes of play after they were sent into bat on the first day of the contest at Sabina Park.
But conditions eased considerably after that opening burst, and Babar cracked 75 and Fawad retired on 76 from heat exhaustion, and shared 158 for the fourth wicket to ease the worries in the visitors’ dressing room by the time bad light stopped play.
Hopes of a Windies revival after Roach got Babar caught at second slip in the final hour were thwarted when Faheem Ashraf, not out on 23, and Mohammad Rizwan, not out on 22, put on 44 – unbroken – for the fifth wicket before the close.
Roach ended the day with 3-49 from 17 overs and struck with the third ball of the match, when he had Abid Ali caught at second slip for one, before he claimed former Pakistan captain Azhar Ali caught behind for a six-ball duck in his second over.
Seales tightened West Indies’ early grip, when he had Imran Butt caught behind for one, as the visitors top-order failed to ease concerns about their stability.
For close to the next five hours of play, the Windies failed to make further headway, and Babar and Fawad carried Pakistan to 60 for three at lunch and 145 for three at tea.
Babar cut Roach through backward point for his ninth four to reach his 50 from 96 balls in the first half-hour after lunch and Fawad pulled a short ball from Alzarri Joseph through mid-wicket for his eighth boundary to reach his 50 from 101 balls a little before the drinks break.
After tea, West Indies bowled with discipline and the repressive heat took its toll on Fawad, forcing him to retire with Pakistan on 160 for three, as well as Windies wicketkeeper Joshua da Silva, who had to be replaced by substitute wicketkeeper Jahmar Hamilton.
Both teams made one change to their line-ups from the previous match, with the Windies bringing in Alzarri Joseph to replace left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican, and the Pakistanis replacing leg-spinner Yasir Shah with left-arm spinner Nauman Ali.
The hosts lead the two-match series 1-0, after a one-wicket victory inside four days in the first Test that ended last Sunday at the same venue.
Summarised scores:
Pakistan 212 for four (Fawad Alam 76 retired, Babar Azam 75, Faheem Ashraf 23 not out, Mohammad Rizwan 22 not out; Kemar Roach 3-49) vs West Indies.
(AR)
