Azam, who is also the Test skipper for Pakistan, played a captain's knock as he made 75 runs off 175 deliveries. He was exceptionally supported by Alam.
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Pakistan ended Day 1 of the second Test against the West Indies on a strong note. The day’s play ended early owing to bad light. Instead of 90 overs, 74 were only played. Pakistan were put in to bat by the West Indies skipper Jason Holder. They were off to a horrid start as the top order failed to deliver. It will be a matter of grave concern for the side as there is still a long way to go in the match and it is crucial for the top three batters to perform if Pakistan do not want to lose the series. It is a two-match Test series, with the Windies winning the first one to lead the series 1-0. This match is a must-win for Pakistan as they will look at a devastating series defeat against the Windies.
Despite a poor start to the innings, Pakistan ended the day on a very strong note. The score at the end of the day was 212-4. Batters Babar Azam and Fawad Alam held the fort for Pakistan after the top order collapsed after making just two runs. Openers Abid Ali and Imran Butt were both dismissed for one run each and Azhar Ali was sent packing for a duck. The responsibility had fallen on Pakistan’s star batter Babar Azam and Fawad Alam to steady the ship. The two played impressive knocks and ensured that their team was not bundled out on the very first day.
Azam, who is also the Test skipper for Pakistan, played a captain’s knock as he made 75 runs off 175 deliveries. The knock included 13 boundaries. He was exceptionally supported by Alam who made 26 off 149 deliveries. Alam might not be at the crease at the moment but he is yet to get out. He had to return to the pavilion after sustaining an injury, thus making him retired hurt. Currently, wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan, and Faheem Ashraf are the two batters in the middle. Rizwan has made 22 runs so far and Ashraf has made 23.
The West Indian bowlers started the match exceptionally well but the duo of Azam and Alam completely disrupted their rhythm. Pakistan was 2-3 at one point, and then the next wicket fell when they were at 168. The pick of the bowlers so far is a veteran pacer, Kemar Roach. He took three of the four wickets, including that of the dangerous Babar Azam. He also dismissed Azhar Ali and Abid Ali. Jayden Seales was the other wicket-taker for the Windies. He dismissed opener Imran Butt. Skipper Jason Holder used five other bowlers, including himself, but none got a wicket.
For Pakistan, winning this game is a matter of pride. They are already out of contention to win the series as they have lost the first game. However, they cannot afford to lose a Test series to a side that is not stronger than them on paper. For the Caribbean nation, however, drawing the match would result in a historic Test series win against one of the powerhouses in world cricket. It would definitely give them a lot of confidence going forward.
