After losing the first Test at Guyana by 40 runs, Misbah-ul-Haq’s Pakistan XI bounced back by winning the second Test at Warner, Park, Basseterre, Saint Kitts by restricting the hosts 196 runs short from the total tally of 426 runs.
After scoring 130 runs for the loss of five wickets, the West Indies had an uphill task to take the game away from Pakistan on the final day without letting them penetrate their defences. With most of their ace batsmen back in the pavilion there was never a real chance for Darren Sammy’s men to restrict the tourists from levelling the series.
Coming out to field, the Pakistan skipper, Misbah-ul-Haq could surely smell victory and straight away brought on the dangerous Saeed Ajmal to bowl against Brendan Nash and Carlton Baugh, who stood defiant against thegreen caps.
In the third over of the day, the last hope for the hosts to draw the match was broken by Ajmal when Nash edged a delivery right into the hands of Taufeeq Umar in the slips after scoring 30 runs off 72 deliveries. This was surely the beginning of the end for Sammy XI on Day 5.
After Nash it was the skipper, who came to the crease, hoping to stay on the wicket for the whole day. The body language of the two batsmen clearly reflected their intentions of drawing the series, Sammy knew by now that a win was probably out of the question and levelling the match would mean a win in the series for the hosts.
The partnership between Sammy and Baugh, which took the score to 171 runs, was finally broken by Abdur Rehman when the latter was adjudged leg-before wicket. The batsman had scored 18 runs off 59 deliveries.
Kemar Roach then came in to accompany his captain, who seemed to be in good knick with the bat. Both Roach and Sammy batted well against the Pakistan spin attack with a splendid combination of defensive and attacking batting.
The Windies skipper was dislodged when the batsmen tried to attack Ajmal, but in the end the delivery went straight into the hands of Misbah at midwicket. Sammy played a phenomenal innings of 41 runs off 51 deliveries, which included six boundaries.
Ravi Rampaul was the next man in and after scoring 20 runs he was caught by Umar Akmal in the covers off a delivery by Ajmal.
In the very next over Roach was run out, which marked the end of the West Indies innings, as the hosts fell after scoring just 230 runs against Pakistan.
With this win the tourists managed to level the series, giving Test skipper, Misbah, something to cherish from the tour.
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