KARACHI: Pakistan crushed West Indies by 82 runs in the second Twenty20 International to take an unassailable lead in a three-match series at National Stadium here on Monday. Chasing a formidable target of 206, the woeful visitors could muster only 123 runs, rendering Tuesday’s (today) final match a dead rubber. The hosts had handed their Caribbean guests a welcome to forget in the opening T20I on Sunday, defeating them by a massive 143 runs. With such a massive target to chase, the visitors needed a strong start from their openers: Andre Fletcher and Chadwick Walton – both of who played in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2018 and shouldn’t have been as rusty or inexperience as most of their teammates. Fletcher went for just one run to Mohammad Nawaz. Chadwick resisted a bit with a 29-ball 40, but fell to Shadab Khan with Windies at 50-2 in 8.1 overs. Shadab struck again to remove Marlon Samuels 12 with a catch by Asif Ali near the boundary. Wicketkeeper-batsman Denesh Ramdin, after failing to click in the first T20I, hit out at the Pakistan bowling before departing for 21 runs off 20. Mohammad Amir cleaned up the middle-lower order with wickets of skipper Jason Mohammed 15, Rovman Powell 3, and Keemo Paul 17. Rayad Emrit was run out for 1. Hasan Ali knocked out Kesrick Williams’ stumps.
Earlier, a 119-run second-wicket stand between Babar Azam (97 not out) and Hussain Talat (63) helped Pakistan score 205 for the loss of three wickets. But unlike the opening game, the Men in Green did not get a major contribution from their hard-hitting opener Fakhar Zaman, who chipped in just half a dozen runs and departed in the second over. Babar and Talat, however, repaired that early damage to laid a strong foundation for their team. Asif Ali, who was out for a disappointing one run in his debut T20I, hit a couple of powerful boundaries before getting caught in the deep at 14. Shoaib Malik contributed 17 runs off balls. For West Indies, debutant Odean Smith, Emrit and Williams took a wicket each. Pakistan were unchanged from the first T20I. An already depleted West Indies suffered another blow, with their bowler Veerasammy Permaul ruled out of the remaining games due to an ankle injury.
Published in Daily Times, April 3rd 2018.