- Match scorecard available here
Jamaica, 25 August 2021: The last time West Indies defeated Pakistan in a Test series was in 2000 and it is going to stay that way till the next cycle of the ICC World Test Championship, thanks to 21-year-old Shaheen Shah Afridi, whose mesmerising bouts of pace bowling helped Pakistan square the two-match series 1-1 in the final session of the final day.
Shaheen had recorded his career-best figures of six for 51 on the fourth day of the match, and he continued to his record-making streak on Tuesday when he picked up four wickets to register his first-ever 10-wicket match haul, becoming only the second left-arm Pakistan pacer to do so, behind the legendary Wasim Akram.
The equation was simple for the tourists at the start of the day’s play: take nine wickets and travel back with crucial 12 Test championship points in the vault. That they did and ended up with a satisfying 109-run win.
The contest had been marred by persistent spells of rain on day two and a complete session lost in the morning of the third day, so Pakistan knew they had to pull of a herculean performance.
Their plans were put at bay – albeit momentarily – when Alzarri Joseph and West Indies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite began the day and during the afternoon session when Kyle Mayers and Jason Holder put up a 46-run vigil. These partnerships may have caused jitters amongst the Pakistan fans glued to their TV and mobile screens late at night, but Shaheen broke both stands with ease to continue to near Pakistan another historic win.
Following Mayers dismissal, the play had to be suspended briefly because of rain, but as soon as the two teams were back in the middle, Shaheen did what he had been doing this series – in which he finished with 18 wickets.
The first wicket after rain suspension was picked up by left-arm orthodox Nauman Ali as he accounted for Jason Holder, who top-scored for the hosts with 47 in the innings. Nauman finished with three wickets to his name as he had also snared Brathwaite and Jermaine Blackwood on either side of Lunch.
Shaheen then accounted for Kemar Roach, who sealed the first Test for the hosts with the bat, and Joshua Da Silva in back to back overs as Pakistan sealed the contest in the 84th over.
Scores in brief:
Pakistan beat West Indies by 109 runs
Pakistan 302-9d, 110 overs (Fawad Alam 124 not out, Babar Azam 75, Mohammad Rizwan 31, Faheem Ashraf 26; Jayden Seales 3-31, Kemar Roach 3-68, Jason Holder 2-46) and 176-6d, 27.2 overs (Imran Butt 37, Babar Azam 33; Alzarri Joseph 2-24, Jason Holder 2-27)
West Indies 150 all out, 51.3 overs (Nkrumah Bonner 37, Jermaine Blackwood 33; Shaheen Shah Afridi 6-51, Mohammad Abbas 3-44) and 219 all out, 83.2 overs (Jason Holder 47, Kraigg Brathwaite 39, Kyle Mayers 32, Jermaine Blackwood 25, Kieran Powell 23; Shaheen Shah Afridi 4-43, Nauman Ali 3-52, Hasan Ali 2-37)
Player of the match – Shaheen Shah Afridi (Pakistan)
Player of the series – Shaheen Shah Afridi (Pakistan)
