Kingston – Momentum shifted from West Indies after a long rain delay and Pakistan captain Babar Azam gathered an unbeaten half-century to give his side a 124-run lead in the first Test in Jamaica.
Pacers Kemar Roach and Jayden Seales took two wickets apiece to grab the initiative for the Windies, but Azam, not out on 54, anchored the Pakistanis to 160 for five in their second innings when bad light stopped play on the third day of the match at Sabina Park.
Roach and Seales left Pakistan reeling on 65 for four, after the visitors dismissed the Caribbean side for 253 on the stroke of the first half-hour to concede a 36-run, first innings lead.
West Indies added only two to their overnight total of 251 for eight before losing their last two wickets – Jomel Warrican for one and Joshua da Silva for 21 – to left-arm pacer Shaheen Afridi in only 16 deliveries.
Afridi was the pick of the Pakistani bowlers with 4-59 from 21.4 overs and fellow pacer Mohammad Abbas ended with 3-43 from 22 overs.
Roach trapped opener Imran Butt lbw without scoring in the third over of Pakistan’s second innings and bowled Azhar Ali behind his legs for 23, and the visitors stumbled to 56 for two at lunch.
Seales followed up with two wickets in a single over after the interval, when he had opener Abid Ali caught at second slip for 34 and three balls later got left-hander Fawad Alam caught behind for a duck from a faint edge.
The Windies met resistance when Mohammad Rizwan added 56 for the fifth wicket with Azam either side of the rain delay that prompted an early tea with Pakistan on 123 for five.
After the break, Holder claimed Rizwan caught behind for 30, but Pakistan lost no further wickets to leave the Test hanging in the balance with two days to play on a pitch expected to favour the bowlers more than the batsmen.
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 160 for five (Babar Azam 54 not out, Abid Ali 31, Mohammad Rizwan 30, Azhar Ali 23, Faheem Ashraf 12 not out; Kemar Roach 2-15, Jayden Seales 2-50).
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)
