Gayle-less West Indies wins Test match

Without Gayle, but with a seemingly good batting lineup nonetheless, the West Indies did what few expected them to do on a poor batting wicket.  They won the match with bowling… using only 1 spinner (Bishoo)… when Pakistan proved that spin was in.

First Inning

Sammy won the toss and decided to bat on a bat batting wicket.  The West Indies scrapped (and scraped) to 226 all out with Simmons getting 49, a bunch of people getting 8 others scoring in double-figures (between 12 and 27), a last wicket stand of 28 between Roach and Bishoo, and Pakistan’s brilliant spinner  Saeed Ajmal picking  up 5-69.

Pakistan, in reply, struggled on the bowling pitch, making only 160 runs, with Abdur Rehman getting 40, Azhar Ali and Umar Akmal  getting 34 and 33 respectively.  Our brilliant spinner, Devendra Bishoo, finished with figures of 4-68, recently Pakistan-killer  (Ravi Rampaul) with 3-27, and Sammy with 2-16.

Second Inning

With a 66 run lead, the West Indies batted a second time and were reeling at 104-9 (a lead of 170) when Bishoo joined his Guyanese tactician, the ageless Chanderpaul.  The duo put on some gutsy batting to take the West Indies to 152 all out, a 48-run 10th wicket stand.  We had no time to wonder if this was the real West Indies that lose the tailenders cheaply even when we had the World-beating side because Pakistan now had a target of 219 to win, not 171.  In the Wes Indies inning, Chanders made an unbeaten 36, with Bishoo making 24, Saeed Ajmal took 6-42, finishing with match figures of 11-111.  Wow!

Pakistan knew that, by scoring 219 to win a test in the West Indies, they could finally win a Test series in the West Indies by drawing the second Test.  However, they lost 3 quick wickets and were 3-2 before a great 4th wicket stand of 81 between .  But then came Rampaul to remove Asad Shafiq for 42.  However Mizbah-ul-Haq formed another partnership with Umar Akmal, before Mizbah-ul-Haq was removed by Sammy for 52, in an over where Sammy took 2 wickets.  Then Sammy coolly did the rest, removing 3 of the remaining 4 wickets.    In the end, it was Pakistan all out for 178, Misbah Ul-Haq 52, Umar Akmal 47 and Asad Shafiq 42 a middle order all removed by Sammy.  Sammy finished with 5-29 (match figures of 7-45) and Rampaul finshed with 4-48 (match figures of 7-75).

West Indies Wins by 40

Sammy was not only the man-of-the-match, but was a credible bowler in this series.  Some people said, “Sammy answered the critics today.”

However, Sammy was not the only outstanding West Indian player.  I have to congratulate Ravi Rampaul who continues to give Pakistan’s batsmen trouble since the World Cup, the great batsman Shiv Chanderpaul who batted sensibly… again, and Devendra Bishoo who played like an all-rounder in this match.

Congratulations to the West Indes.  This win means Pakistan’s drought of a series win in the West Indies continues.