Daily Times

Hats off to dazzling performance of Kraigg Brathwaite and Shane Dowrich who guided West Indies to their first Test victory in 14 matches as the Caribbean side downed Pakistan by five wickets on the final day of the third and final Test in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates on Thursday. Opener Brathwaite, who carried his bat for an unbeaten 142 in the first innings, and Dowrich each scored 60 in adding 87 for the unbroken sixth wicket after West Indies had been reduced to 67 for five chasing 153 for victory. The duo’s communication was good, they talked confidently with each other, keep rotating the strike and led the visitors to reach home with ease. The pair took just 7.5 overs to knock down the target in clinical fashion. After getting whitewashed 3-0 by Pakistan in the previous Twenty20 and ODI series and losing the first two Tests by 56 runs and 133 runs respectively, it was a remarkable recovery and victory for skipper Jason Holder and his men. From day one, the final Test was very absorbing with the balance most of the time tilting in favour of West Indies. Pakistan’s complacent display with the bat in both their innings and their inept approach in rotating strikes to steady their radar-less innings brought West Indies to a point from where they did not falter. This young West Indian side, with many unrecognised names, remained highly competitive and they deserve a credit for that.

The victory ended a 13-match streak without a victory (10 losses and three draws) for West Indies, stretching back to May last year when they beat England at home. It was also their first Test win outside the West Indies since 2007. It was also West Indies’ first win under the captaincy of Holder. Pakistan, who won the three-match Test series 2-1, lost their momentum and gave below par performance to ‘help’ West Indies, who showed more resistance than most would have expected, to turn the tables on the hosts. It is also interesting to note that West Indies tested Pakistan in phases in the entire Test series; they nearly won the Dubai Test and put on a late fight in Abu Dhabi too. The third Test saw Holder’s men find gaps in Pakistan’s complacency and carelessness, and went on to win without any troubles on the last day.

Pakistan’s bowlers were unable to create any pressure on a pitch that was still rather placid. Neither Wahab Riaz nor Mohammad Amir got much swing or movement off the surface, and Yasir Shah was ineffective and inconsistent in the two overs he bowled. The batsmen seemed to have little trouble in keeping the straight ones out and punishing anything that was too short or too wide. It was all a far cry from West Indies’ wobble the previous evening, as they slid to 67 for 5 after a rather shaky 29-run opening partnership. But Brathwaite and Dowrich changed the scenario of the match, combining for undefeated stand to steer their side to a memorable victory and finish a tough tour of the UAE on a high.

Winning two Tests was not as easy for Pakistan as they had to overcome resilience by West Indies. Darren Bravo’s century in Dubai gave Pakistan a scare and Devendra Bishoo frequently tested Pakistan’s batsmen to finish as the second-highest wicket-taker in the series, taking 18 wickets at an average of 27. His strike rate of 45 was better than man of the series Yasir’s 55, who was the top wicket-taker with 21 scalps. Pakistan made a lot of mistakes and could not maintain the winning momentum. West Indies kept improving, while Pakistan kept losing momentum. Skipper Misbahul Haq and his men were pathetic. The result meant Misbah could not celebrate his record 49th Test as Pakistan skipper with a win. He surpassed the previous mark of 48 in charge set by the legendary all-rounder Imran Khan.