Barbadian batsman Kraigg Brathwaite struck an unbeaten 95 as the West Indies had 12 hours of good Test cricket against Pakistan, at the end of the second day of the Haier Cup Test series at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in UAE, yesterday.
After bowling well on day one, the West Indies batsmen came to the park on day two and all of a sudden this team which was dominated in the first Two Tests, looked the part. Brathwaite's effort enabled the West Indies to reach 244 for six in reply to Pakistan's score of 281, which means the Caribbean team needs just another 38 runs to overhaul the hosts.
The Barbadian right hander showed that great batsmanship was not only about putting away the bad balls but defying the potentially dangerous ones and was able to create the backbone of the innings, which has been sadly missing. He picked up his bat 40 minutes into the day's play and still had it in hands at the end. As he glanced at the scoreboard on his way back to the pavillion, he would have seen 95 not out from 206 balls with 10 fours.
He shared two useful partnerships, both worth 83, first with countrymen Roston Chase (50) and Shane Dowrich (47), to keep the West Indies with their noses in front in this Test.
Earlier, Pakistan resumed on the bedtime position of 255/8 and some lusty blows by Mohammed Amir and Yasir Shah took them to 281, before both men played on to Alzari Joseph, bringing the innings to a close. Amir got 20 and Shah 12, as Joseph ended with 2/57, while Shannon Gabriel took 3/65 and Devendra Bishoo, who did not bowl yesterday, had 4/74.
A fired up Amir kept both West Indies openers Brathwaite and Johnson honest but it was Wahab Riaz who made the breakthrough. He took two deliveries away from the left handed Johnson before darting one back, that caught the Guyanese on the backfoot, trapping him leg before for one.
Darren Bravo promised much clipping his first delivery beautifully through midwicket for four but a brilliant catch by the pumped up Amir saw his back. He tried to go over the top against left arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar and skied the ball over cover. Amir ran back, then made a final leap in the air, to pluck the ball out.
Marlon Samuels again failed to deliver. The languid Jamaican was leg before to Shah without scoring, although he reviewed the dismissal (3rd time in five innings on this tour) and was still sent on his way. Brathwaite, a spectator at the other end took West Indies to lunch at 38 for three, his contribution an unbeaten 21.
After the break Jermaine Blackwood middled some but his immaturity led to his downfall. Amir finally got a wicket of his own as the lead footed right hander played away from his body only to edge to Asad Shafiq at slip for 23.
Chase joined Brathwaite with the score at 68 for four and it looked as if the West Indies would have folded easily from that point. The tall Barbadian looked positive against the spin/pace combination. While Brathwaite was getting a workover from Wahab, Chase looked solid at the other end.
Brathwaite saw through this torrid period and together with Chase they took the score to 141 for four at tea - a partnership of 73 runs for the fifth wicket. Brathwaite had recorded his half century of 109 balls with sixes fours.
After the break, runs continued to flow for the West Indies and Chase played a brilliant ondrive to reach his half century. He faced 86 balls, striking six fours and a six. However on reaching his the mark, he played a wide delivery angled across him from Amir and was out. His stand with Brathwaite brought the West Indies back into the contest.
All the while, Brathwaite was playing well within his means and keeping the Pakistani fast bowlers at bay. They tested him time and time again with the short ball but he was effective in leaving those deliveries and pulling a couple to the fence.
Joined by Dowrich, he moved the score along and the two looked as if they would take West Indies to the close but with seven overs to go, Dowrich played at a wide delivery which crashed into his timber. He faced 90 balls with five fours and a six.
Scoreboard
WI vs Pakistan
Pakistan inns
A Ali c Brathwaite b Gabriel 0
S Aslam c Holder b Bishoo 74
A Shafiq lbw Gabriel 0
Y Khan c Johnson b Chase 51
M ul Haq c Dowrich b Bishoo 53
S Ahmed b Gabriel 51
M Nawaz st Dowrich b Bishoo 6
W Riaz lbw Bishoo 4
Y Shah b Joseph 12
M Amir b Joseph 20
Z Babar not out 1
Extras 4lb, 4nb, 1w 9
Total all out 281
Fall of wkts: 1,1, 107, 150, 230, 242, 248, 248, 280, 281.
Bowling: S Gabriel 21-1-67-3 (2nb), A Joseph 16.5-5-57-2 (2nb, 1w), J Holder 12-4-29-0, R Chase 20-5-47-1, D Bishoo 29-2-74-4.
WI Inns
K Brathwaite not out 95
L Johnson lbw Wahab 1
D Bravo c Amir b Babar 11
M Samuels lbw Shah 0
J Blackwood c Shafiq b Amir 23
R Chase c Younis b Amir 50
S Dowrich b Wahab 47
J Holder not out 6
Extras lb6, nb5 11
Total for 6 wkts 244
Fall of wkts: 6, 32, 38, 68, 151, 234.
Bowling: M Amir 17-4-44-2 (2nb), W Riaz 16-0-65-2 (3nb), Y Shah 18-2-56-1, Z Babar 17-3-45-1, M Nawaz 4-0-12-0, A Ali 6-0-16-0.