PAK 272 & 377/6 Dec WI 223 & 130/5 close Day 4
Ever since the 78-run stand for the last wicket between Tanvir Ahmed and Saeed Ajmal in the first innings, the second Test at St. Kitts has been Pakistan’s all the way.
The tourists recovered from a dicey 194/9 to post a fighting 272, bowled out the hosts for a meagre 223 and then piled on the runs through hundreds by Taufeeq Umar and Misbah-ul-Haq to give their team a huge lift going in to the final day of the short yet absorbing two-match series against the West Indies.
Day four was all Pakistan, resuming at the overnight score of 202/3 the tourists cashed in on the tired West Indian bowlers, scoring well over 4 runs an over as they raced to 377. Misbah capped off a remarkable run with the bat ever since taking over the captaincy, with a sparkling 102 that was full of strokes rather than the dour approach he is renowned for.
Taufeeq Umar on the other hand, was a model of concentration, relying on as many as four reprieves on his way to his fifth Test hundred; eventually he fell for 135 via the run-out route.
The hosts were left with a record chase of 427 runs for a win, they started off on a bad note when debutantKraigg Brathwaite had his off stump sent cart wheeling by a booming in swinger by Tanvir Ahmed.
From there on in, the hosts looked jaded and dispirited. Lendl Simmons, who had toiled hard in the second innings, was dismissed by Abdur Rehman who dealt a body blow to the hosts few balls later by trapping Ramnaresh Sarwan lbw.
Marlon Samuels was also undone by the left armer’s wizardry. The only player to offer consistent resistance was Darren Bravo and shortly before close, Wahab Riaz made an entry on the wicket-taking list by sending him pavilion wards, via an lbw decision.
The tourists are 5 wickets away from a series leveling win, and they should wrap up the match in the first session of the fifth day.
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