West Indies beat Pakistan by one wicket on the fourth day at Sabina Parkon Sunday (15 August) and take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series. Kemar Roach rose to the occasion and played a vital knock in the late middle order to seal the victory for the host in the last hour of the day. The Windies have opened their account in the second ICC Test Championship (2021-2023 cycle) with this victory. They are currently on top of the points table with 12 points. The first Test report of the WI vs. PAK 2021 series is discussed in this article.
First Test Match Report of the WI vs. PAK 2021 Series
Pakistan set the Windies a 168-run target after being bowled out for 203 runs in their second innings soon after the drinks break in the first session of day-4. Pakistan's campaign was optimistic before taking to the field to defend a modest total. The pitch suited the pacers, and the batsmen found it difficult to deal with the quick bowlers.
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Pakistan got off to a flying start. Thanks to left-arm bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi Pakistan took three wickets before the lunch break. Kraigg Brathwaite, Kieron Powell, and Nkrumah Bonner were all dismissed by Afridi. West Indies finished the season with 38 runs on the board for the loss of 3 wickets.
Roston Chase and Jermaine Blackwood then repaired the innings with a 68-run stand between them in the fourth wicket. This partnership helped the Windies to make a comeback in the match. They were watchful in the middle and played 117 balls together in order to rebuild the innings.
However, just before the tea break, Pakistan's pacers came out with a lot of aggression, removing four West Indian batsmen in quick succession. The Windies suddenly found themselves in a difficult situation, and Pakistan took complete control of the contest. The Windies were 114/7 at the time. The host required 54 more runs to win the match, which appeared far more difficult to achieve.
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Kemar Roach then took full responsibility and formed a crucial 28-run partnership with Joshua De Silva. Pakistan did manage to pick up two more wickets, but it was Kemar Roach's unbroken 17*-run partnership with no.11 Jayden Seals that frustrated the Pakistani bowlers and took his team to victory. Roach remained unbeaten with 30*. Young pacer Jayden Seals won the player of the match award for picking 8 wickets in the match.
Earlier, batting first Pakistan were bowled out for 217 in their first innings. Fawad Alam (56) was the top scorer for the Pakistan team. The Windies managed to score 253 runs in response after taking a 36-run lead in the first innings. The top scorer for the host was Kraigg Brathwaite (97).
Pakistan scored 203 runs in their second innings, leaving the Caribbean side with a target of fewer than 200 runs to win the series opener. Pakistan captain Babar Azam scored 55 runs in the second innings.Pakistan needed a big knock from its charismatic skipper to take a 200-run lead in the fourth innings.
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Bottom Line
The West Indies have commenced their ICC Test Championship campaign with a satisfying victory against Pakistan. By virtue of collective effort, they were able to defeat the talented Pakistan team. Newcomer Jayden Seales was outstanding with the ball for the host. Among others, Captain Kraigg Brathwaite, Kemar Roach, and Jason Holder made significant contributions to the match. The Caribbean team is now topping the Test Championship standings. India and England are in second and third place, respectively with two points apiece. The second match of the WI vs. PAK 2021 Test series will start on August 20 at the same venue.