Shahrukh Khan
Age: 124
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Pakistan make West Indies pay
The Bulletin by Anand Vasu
June 5, 2005
Pakistan 374 (Younis 106, Collymore 7-78) and 223 for 4 (Malik 64, Inzamam 64*) lead West Indies 404 (Lara 153) by 193 runs
Pakistan fought hard and managed to claw their way back into the second Test against West Indies at Sabina Park, ending the third day with a healthy lead of 193. The day began badly for West Indies, and there was no respite till it ended.
But if they were flat in the first session, they were downright lax in the second. Bowled out for 404, with a token lead of 30, the home fast men sprayed the ball, allowing Pakistan to race away to a fabulous start in their second innings. At tea, Pakistan had wiped out the deficit and were 86 for 1.
Pakistan managed to wrap up the West Indies tail fairly quickly after lunch, with Shahid Afridi getting into the act. He accounted for the tail-enders Tino Best and Reon King easily enough, and then induced a false shot from Wavell Hinds. Slipping one in just outside the off, Afridi induced the cut, but the ball was too close to the stumps for the shot and the resulting edge flew to the lone slip fielder. Yasir Hameed accepted the sharp chance, and the West Indian innings ended.
Then West Indies served up a wide selection of freebies. The customary no-balls came with wides, the odd dangerous beamer, and a seemingly unending supply of short and wide deliveries that Hameed and Shoaib Malik tucked into with relish. Pakistan's 50 came up in only 43 balls, at a run-rate of around 7 runs per over.
Hameed and Malik breezed along, largely untroubled, until Corey Collymore, the hero of the first innings, came into the attack and put the ball in the right areas often enough to beat the bat. Hameed, perhaps lulled into a false sense of security because of the poor bowling he faced in the first spell, slashed at a wide one and watched as Devon Smith took a good catch to give West Indies the breakthrough (66 for 1).
The early ineffective bowling of the West Indians set the tone for the day and allowed Pakistan's batsmen to get on with their job without much pressure. The gamble of using Malik at the top of the order paid off. He played his shots without inhibition, and rattled up 64 off 79 balls before being caught behind off Collymore (119 for 2). Asim Kamal lasted only two balls, and all of a sudden Collymore had his third wicket, and became the first West Indian bowler to take 10 wickets in a match since Courtney Walsh against England at Lord's in 2000. Pakistan's step had faltered with their score on 119 for 3.
Inzamam-ul-Haq, returning to the team after serving a one-Test ban, received a let off when a catch was grassed. He made sure that West Indies paid for their mistake, scoring an unbeaten 64 to steer Pakistan to stumps. Pakistan's lead of 193 could already be enough to level the series. But before they start thinking along those lines, they need to make sure they close out the game, and not repeat West Indies' mistakes.
Brian Lara had given West Indies a fighting chance of closing out the second Test with his century on the second day. But they squandered the opportunity in the first session of the third when Shabbir Ahmed struck twice in as many balls to give Pakistan the edge. The first hurdle, wiping out Pakistan's lead, had just been achieved.
The session began uneventfully enough, but that proved to be the calm before the storm. First Danish Kaneria was warned for running on the danger area by Darrell Hair. Struggling against Lara's clever footwork Kaneria's already ordinary game took a serious turn for the worse. He could not adjust his follow-through enough to please Hair and when he repeated the offence was barred from bowling further in the innings, ending with figures of 1 for 94 from 28.5 overs.
Strangely Kaneria's predicament turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Pakistan, as they did not hesitate to take the second new ball, and Shabbir took full toll. With just his second delivery he produced a snorter to Lara, who only managed to edge it to the keeper (326 for 5). Lara had moved along to 153, but his dismissal gave Pakistan a foot in the door. Shabbir then got rid of Courtney Browne with his very next ball, again caught behind (326 for 6). Wavell Hinds managed to spend long enough batting around the tail to reach 63, and take West Indies to a slender lead. At that stage West Indies were on top, but no-one expected them to fritter away such a good position.
How they were out
Pakistan 2nd innings
Hameed c Smith b Collymore 26 (66 for 1)
Flashed at a wide one and edged to slip.
Malik c Browne b Collymore 64 (119 for 2)
Tiny inside edge.
Kamal lbw b Collymore 0 (119 for 3)
Missed a straight one.
Younis c & b Gayle 43 (194 for 4)
Popped a simple return catch.
West Indies
Lara c Akmal b Shabbir 153 (326 for 5)
Tickled a snorter that leapt from a length.
Browne c Akmal b Shabbir 0 (326 for 6)
Chased a well-pitched outswinger.
Powell c Akmal b Shabbir 14 (356 for 7)
Caught in two minds and only managed an edge.
Best b Afridi 18 (385 for 8)
Inside-edged a big drive on to his stumps.
King lbw b Afridi 0 (393 for 9)
Played back to a straight ball, plumb.
Hinds c Hameed b Afridi 63 (404 for 10)
Slashed a wide one to slip.
