Seven days in the desert and the West Indies finally had one good one, as leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo lit up the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, to give his side a chance of winning the first Test match against Pakistan in the Haier Cup series, yesterday.
The West Indies will enter the final day today, looking for 251 runs with eight wickets in the hut, as they closed on 95 for two. Openers Kraigg Brathwaite (6) and Leon Johnson (47) both fell to Mohammed Amir. Leading the fight today will be Darren Bravo unbeaten on 26 and Marlon Samuels on four.
Johnson took the battle to Pakistan and played freely hitting six boundaries of 81 balls, in adding 60 runs with Bravo for the second wicket. Just before the close he was trapped leg before, which brought Pakistan back into the contest.
Two of the most unpredictable teams in world cricket, continued to take ownership of the title, as Pakistan never under pressure in this Test, lost seven wickets for 30 runs to slump to 123 all out–under an assault from the Guyanese Bishoo.
The soft spoken assassin cleaned up the Pakistanis with 8/49, after they refused to enforce the follow-on, as the West Indies needing to find 380 runs to prevent that, fell short at 357 all out earlier in the day. Leg-spinner Yasir Shah claimed 5/121 to humble the Caribbean men, who resumed on 315 for six. When the two main batters remaining in Shane Dowrich (32) and skipper Jason Holder (20), fell, the innings folded.
With an imposing lead of 222 runs, the Pakistanis would never had catered to the skill of Bishoo. The right armer used the rough outside the left handers off stump, to gain generous grip and turn and clean bowled four men.
His figures were the best by a foreign bowler in Asia, bettering South African Lance Klusener's 8/64 at Eden Garden's against India in 1996/97. They are also his best figures in Test, beating his 6/80 against Australia in 2015.
Pakistan decided against enforcing the follow-on because they wanted more wear and tear on the pitch, before bowling again. Bishoo showed them that they made the wrong decision.
The West Indies started their job brightly, when Shannon Gabriel trapped first innings triple centurion Azhar Ali for two. Sami Aslam who stroked 90 in the first essay looked good again and scored 44 of 61 balls with four fours to keep the runs flowing.
After Gabriel and Miguel Cummins took enough shine off the ball, Bishoo started his work. He sent back Asad Shafiq for five before the West Indies nemesis Babar Azam came in to stunt them again. He and Aslam took the score to 77 before the right hander was bowled by Bishoo and this opened the floodgates.
The next wicket fell at 93–which meant that the last seven would have contributed just 30 runs to the effort.
Score board
WI vs Pakistan
Pakistan 1st inns 579/3 dec
WI 1st inns (o/n 69/1)
WI 1st inns
L Johnson lbw Yasir 15
K Brathwaite b Yasir 32
D Bravo c Ali b Nawaz 87
M Samuels lbw Sohail 76
J Blackwood c Sarfraz b Wahab 37
R Chase c Babar b Wahab 6
S Dowrich lbw Yasir Shah 32
J Holder b Yasir Shah 20
D Bishoo b Nawaz 17
M Cummins b Shah 0
S Gabriel not out 6
Extras 9b, 8lb, 1w, 11nb 29
Total all out 357
Fall of wkts: 42, 69, 182, 259, 266, 300, 325, 346, 351, 357.
Bowling: M Amir 22-6-54-0 (2nb), Sohail Khan 16-2-56-1, Yasir Shah 43-15-121-5, Wahab 23.3-3-65-2 (8nb, 1w), M Nawaz 16.5-5-38-2, A Ali 2.3-1-6-0.
Pakistan 2nd inns
S Aslam c Blackwood b Bishoo 44
A Ali lbw Gabriel 2
A Shafiq lbw Bishoo 5
B Azam b Bishoo 21
M ul Haq b Bishoo 15
S Ahmed st Dowrich b Bishoo 15
M Nawaz b Bishoo 0
W Riaz c Brathwaite b Bishoo 5
Y Shah c & b Holder 2
S Khan not out 1
M Amir b Bishoo 1
Extras b10, nb2 12
Fall of wkts: 13, 20, 77, 93, 112, 112, 118, 121, 121, 123.
Bowling: S Gabriel 7-1-23-1 (1nb), M Cummins 7-0-29-0 (1nb), D Bishoo 13.5-1-49-8, J Holder 4-1-12-1.
WI 2nd inns
K Brathwaite b Amir 6
L Johnson lbw Amir 47
D Bravo not out 26
M Samuels not out 4
Extras 5lb, 5w, 2nb 12
Total for 2 wkts 95
Fall of wkts: 27, 87.
Bowling: M Amir 8-1-26-2, S Khan 2-1-4-0, Y Shah 13-2-40-0, M Nawaz 4-1-7-0, W Riaz 4-0-13-0.