14-wicket day leaves West Indies, Pakistan Test delicately poised

The first-ever Test at Tarouba made giant strides on the third day, claiming 14 wickets and hurtling towards its denouement. And yet, it appeared to stand in almost exactly the same place it was on a humid sunny morning when the umpires called for play to begin. Pakistan started, with Shan Masood and Salman Ali Agha at the crease, marginally ahead of the hosts, having lost just three wickets and within little over 100 away from West Indies ‘ first-innings total. They end marginally ahead still, with Mohammad Abbas tormenting the hosts, who finish seven down, their lead a vulnerable 155. West Indies’ batters had been gifted an unlikely bonus when they padded up the second time around with 29 extra runs to play with courtesy of Justin Greaves sensational, and perhaps unlikely, five-wicket haul in the first half of the day. But Abbas’ twin strikes with another magical new-ball spell pulled them back, ensuring their slender lead did not turn into a significant advantage by tea. In seven spotless overs, he did for Brandon King and Kavem Hodge in trademark Abbas fashion, coaxing a feather after relentless prodding on a fourth-stump line with a seaming ball. Mohammad Ali helped him out by snaring Amir Jangoo late in the session with a splendid return catch to reduce West Indies to 30 for 3, going into tea having undone some of the damage Greaves had wrought. Tagenarine Chanderpaul has a top score of 35 for West Indies in the second innings (Photo: AFP/Getty Images) There was no let-up from the bowlers in the final session as West Indies were made to scrap for every run. Mohammad Ali, perhaps was the slight weak link, particularly when he pitched up too straight to Tagenarine Chanderpaul, who was clinical when whipping balls off the pads through midwicket. But with pressure applied relentlessly from the other end, Shai Hope’s mind was frazzled into some curious shotmaking. A caress over cover off Khurram Shahzad was sensible enough, but Hope followed it up by premeditating a little amble down the ground and looking to smite Shahzad over his head the following delivery. He did not take into account that this one was coming back in, and made a mess of his middle stump, having swooshed past his attempt at a wild slog. Greaves and Chanderpaul did cobble together a tenacious partnership over the next hour, carefully compiling 37 attritional runs to edge ahead. But the final hour belonged decisively to Pakistan again, and specifically Aamer Jamal , who came back superbly from a disappointing effort in the first innings to tie the batters down. An effort ball grew big on Chanderpaul who skied a pull to midwicket to give Pakistan a sneak into the lower order. Abbas and Shahzad chipped in to dispatch Greaves and Roston Chase. However, exposing the tail does not necessarily mean quick wickets for Pakistan, who have the worst record getting the last four of an opposition out over the last couple of years. West Indies snatched some of the momentum back thanks to a priceless cameo from Shamar Joseph, who bludgeoned three sixes off Jamal to get the hosts’ lead past 150. Kemar Roach and Joseph had extended the partnership to 32 when the umpired tipped the bails over, and, crucially, survived to add to it tomorrow. The day had, until then, belonged to unlikely West Indies bowling hero Greaves, who produced a career-best five-wicket haul to tear through Pakistan’s lower order. After the first hour and a half of the day was taken up by Masood and Agha cautiously edging Pakistan’s score towards 250, the floodgates opened when Joseph knocked Agha’s stumps back with a lovely delivery that seamed away. Greaves got Masood to chop on in the following over, and under sustained pressure from him, Pakistan’s lower order fell apart. (Cricinfo)