Pakistan beat the West Indies by 109 runs in the second and final Test in Jamaica to level the two-match series 1-1 in the ICC World Test Championship.
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Pakistan showed its volatile brilliance on the final day of the second Test against West Indies in Jamaica. After losing the first Test by one wicket, Pakistan bounced back in remarkable style. Shaheen Afridi took 6/51 in the first innings following up on Fawad Alam’s brilliant century. In the quest for pushing a result, Pakistan scored at over six runs an over on the fourth day to set up a brilliant fifth day. Shaheen again took four wickets to end up with 10 wickets in the match. Pakistan won the game in the final session by 109 runs to level the two-Test series 1-1.
The series result meant that Pakistan narrowly avoided a series defeat to the West Indies in the Caribbean for the second time. In the 2017 series, Pakistan had to wait till the last over to win the Jamaica Test as they won a series in the West Indies for the first time. Four years later, Pakistan has now prolonged a 21-year pain for the West Indies. The last time the Windies won a Test series against Pakistan was way back in 2000 when Jimmy Adams hit 48 to guide the side to a tense one-wicket win in Antigua. With this win, the wait for West Indies to win against Pakistan has only increased.
With this latest win, Pakistan has now gone seven consecutive series without a loss to the West Indies. Here is a look back at all the seven series since West Indies’ last series win.
The series was played in the UAE as Pakistan was considered a very unsafe place to tour due to the September 11 terror attacks in 2001 and the situation in Afghanistan. The two Test matches were played in Sharjah. In the first Test, Pakistan was boosted to 493 all out thanks to centuries from Mohammad Yousuf and Rashid Latif as they hit 146 and 150. Chris Gayle, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Wavell Hinds, Carl Hooper, and Ryan Hinds all hit the fifties but Pakistan took a lead of 127.
Pakistan declared on 214/6, giving West Indies a target of 342. Shoaib Akhtar blasted out the top order by taking 5/24 and he was ably supported by Abdul Razzaq who took 4/25. Pakistan won by 170 runs to take a 1-0 lead. The second Test at the same venue followed a similar script.
Pakistan batted first and knocks of 153 and 107 by Younis Khan and Shahid Afridi helped the hosts reach 472. Hooper and Darren Ganga hit the fifties but West Indies were bowled out for 264, with Shoaib Akhtar taking four wickets. Pakistan extended their lead with Younis, Taufeeq Umar, and Yousuf hitting fifties. Set a target of 434, West Indies folded meekly for 189. Waqar Younis took four wickets while Razzaq took 3/33 as Pakistan whitewashed the West Indies 2-0.
The first of the series that witnessed the brilliance of Brian Lara. In the first Test in Barbados, Lara smashed 130 and he was ably assisted by Shivnarine Chanderpaul. But, Chanderpaul was dismissed for 92 as West Indies ended on 345. Pakistan was bowled out for 144 with Fidel Edwards taking 5/38. Chanderpaul did not miss out in the second innings as he hammered 153 and gave Pakistan a target of 573 runs. Shahid Afridi blasted 122 but Chris Gayle’s 5/91 gave West Indies a massive 276-run win.
In the final Test in Jamaica, Younis Khan hit 106 and he was assisted by fifties from Inzamam-ul-Haq and Asim Kamal. Pakistan’s 374 did not seem enough as Brian Lara demonstrated his class. He hit 153 and he got support from Ramnaresh Sarwan and Wavell Hinds. West Indies managed a lead of 30 runs. But, Inzamam hit a brilliant 117 and he was well supported by Shoaib Malik’s 64 as Pakistan ended on 309. Needing 280 runs for a win, West Indies collapsed to the guile of Danish Kaneria who took 5/46, and the pace of Shabbir Ahmed who ended with 4/55. West Indies were bowled out for 143, with Pakistan leveling the series with a 146-run win.
West Indies returned to Pakistan after a gap of nine years but they were outplayed yet again. In the first Test in Lahore, West Indies were on the backfoot despite Lara’s 61. Umar Gul’s 5/65 reduced the Windies to 206 all out. Mohammad Yousuf hit 192 and Kamran Akmal blasted 78 to give Pakistan a lead of 279. Brian Lara smashed 122 and he got good support from Chanderpaul who hit 81. But, Gul took four wickets and Shahid Nazir chipped in with three wickets to give Pakistan a nine-wicket win.
The second Test saw the ultimate contest in Mohammad Yousuf and Brian Lara. In the Multan Test, the match ended with a high-scoring draw. Pakistan made 357 but West Indies were boosted by a brilliant 216 from Lara. The knock included 22 fours and seven sixes. Apart from Lara, Gayle, Daren Ganga, and Dwayne Bravo all hit fifties to help West Indies get a 234-run lead. But, Yousuf hit 191 and Razzaq chipped in with 80 to rescue Pakistan to 461/7 declared.
The third Test saw Pakistan clinch the series in grand style. Karachi witnessed a classic exhibition from Yousuf who hit 102 in the first innings to help Pakistan to 304. Umar Gul took 4/79 as West Indies were bowled out for 260. Capitalizing on the 44-run lead, Yousuf hit 124 and he was ably supported by Mohammad Hafeez’s 104 to help Pakistan reach 399/6 declared. Kaneria took 3/69 and West Indies never recovered to be bowled out for 244. Pakistan won the series 2-0 thanks to the 199-run win. But, the year 2006 would be remembered for Mohammad Yousuf’s nine centuries in the calendar year and a total of 1788 runs, the most-ever.
The first Test in Providence, Guyana saw a unique feat. No batsmen hit a fifty and there were plenty of LBWs and bowled dismissals. The low and slow nature of the Providence deck meant that batsmen’s techniques were tested. Saeed Ajmal took 5/69 to restrict West Indies to 226. Devendra Bishoo took 4/68 as Pakistan were bowled out for 160, giving West Indies a lead of 66 runs. Ajmal took 6/42 to end with match figures of 11/111 as West Indies were bowled out for 152. Needing 229 for a win, Misbah-ul-Haq hit 52 and he got good support from Asad Shafiq and Umar Akmal. But, Darren Sammy’s 5/29 and Ravi Rampaul’s 4/48 gave West Indies a 40-run win.
Pakistan bounced back in style in St Kitts as they notched up 272 thanks to Azhar Ali’s 67 and Tanvir Ahmed’s 57. Pakistan got a 49-run win with Ajmal and Mohammad Hafeez taking three wickets each. Taufeeq Umar and Misbah hit centuries to give West Indies a target of 427. Abdur Rahman and Ajmal took three wickets each to help Pakistan level the series with a 196-run win.
The first Test in 2016 between West Indies and Pakistan saw the second-ever Day Night Test match. It was the first in Asia and records were broken in Dubai. Azhar Ali became the first Pink Ball triple centurion when he hit 302 to help Pakistan reach 579/3 declared. West Indies succumbed to the guile of Yasir Shah who took 5/121 to give Pakistan a 222-run lead. But, Pakistan inexplicably collapsed in the second innings as they were bowled out for 123. Devendra Bishoo took 8/49, the best figures in Day-Night Tests as West Indies were given a target of 346. Darren Bravo, who hit 87 in the first innings, hit 116. But, Mohammad Amir took three wickets as the match ended with Pakistan winning by 56 runs.
In the second Test in Abu Dhabi, Younis hit 127 and Misbah smashed 96 to guide Pakistan to 452. Yasir took 4/86 to give Pakistan a 228-run lead. Pakistan extended their lead by declaring on 227/2. Needing 456, Yasir once again confounded West Indies by taking 6/124 to help Pakistan win by 133 runs.
The third Test in Sharjah saw a brilliant display of batting from Kraigg Brathwaite. Bishoo took 4/77 as Pakistan were bowled out for 281. Sami Aslam, Younis, Misbah and Sarfraz hit fifties. Brathwaite carried his bat through the innings as he smashed 142 and gave West Indies a lead of 56. Azhar Ali showed his class in the second innings as he hit 91 but Jason Holder’s 5/30 bowled Pakistan out for 208. Needing 153 runs to win, Brathwaite once again remained unbeaten as he helped West Indies end the tour on a high with a four-wicket win.
Pakistan began its quest of winning a series in the West Indies for the first time in grand style. Mohammad Amir took 6/44 to bowl West Indies out for 286. Misbah ul Haq was left stranded on 99 and fifties from Babar Azam, Younis and Sarfraz gave Pakistan a lead of 121 runs. Yasir Shah was once again the chief destroyer as his 6/63 bowled West Indies out for 152. Chasing 36, Pakistan won by seven wickets to take a 1-0 lead.
But, things went downhill for Pakistan in Barbados. Roston Chase hit 131 to boost West Indies to 312. Azhar Ali hit a century but Misbah was once again missed out on a century as he was dismissed for 99. Pakistan managed a lead of 81 and they had momentum. West Indies reached 268 thanks to Shai Hope’s 90, with Yasir taking 7/94. Chasing 188 for history, Pakistan was blown away for 81 with Shannon Gabriel taking 5/11 along with three wickets from Holder.
The final Test in Rosseau was a thriller. Azhar Ali once again hit a century and fifties from Babar, Misbah and Sarfraz helped Pakistan reach 376. Chase hit 69 but Pakistan got a 129-run lead thanks to Mohammad Abbas’ 5/46. Pakistan managed to declare on 174/8 and they set West Indies a target of 304. Chase defied the Pakistan bowlers for almost an entire day and he scored a brilliant century. With just seven balls to go, West Indies seemed to have denied Pakistan their history. But, Yasir took 5/92, including a wicket in his final ball of the tour as Pakistan won by 101 runs with only one over to spare. It was the perfect way for the duo of Misbah and Younis to end their international career.
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