The Albany Gazette - Pakistan beat West Indies by eight wickets to level series

Beaten by 90 runs in the first Test the previous week, the visitors were left with a target of only 75 runs after the home side -- already in deep trouble overnight at 103 for six in the second innings -- were dismissed for 117 half-an-hour into the start of the day's play.

Abdullah Shafique and captain Babar Azam guided their team to victory after openers Imam-ul-Haq and Azan Awais fell cheaply to pacers Jayden Seales and Shamar Joseph with Babar hoisting consecutive sixes off spinner Jomel Warrican to seal the result.

It gave Pakistan a share of the series in the same manner as their last campaign in the Caribbean in 2021, when they rebounded similarly from losing the first Test to take the second, both matches played then at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica.

Their last meeting in Pakistan, for two Tests in Multan in January of 2025, also finished 1-1.

This match was a personal triumph for Shafique.

Not included in the original touring party and only flown in last week as replacement for the injured Shan Masood, his unbeaten 160 was the cornerstone of Pakistan's first innings total of 387.

This was also Pakistan's first Test victory at Queen's Park Oval since 1977, when captain Mushtaq Mohammad's all-round performance took his team to a series-levelling win in the fourth Test of a five-match series. West Indies however won the decider in Kingston to take that rubber 2-1.

- Frontline spinners star -

Pushing aside the hotly-debated omission of senior seamer Mohammad Abbas on the first morning of this Test, Pakistan prevailed with their two frontline spinners starring in the victory.

Off-spinner Sajid Khan, who was not picked for the first Test, made the most of his recall with a match haul of eight for 117, although he was not required on the final morning as the other spinner, left-arm orthodox Ali Usman, took two of the last three wickets to fall to claim four for 39 in the innings and match figures of six for 119.

West Indies were hampered by the absence of regular opening batsman Brandon King who was unable to bat because of back spasms suffered in effecting the run out of Pakistan captain Babar Azam for 88 the day before.

Khan had taken four for 32 to engineer the West Indies second innings collapse late on day three, yet Babar opted for the combination of Usman and seamer Mohammad Ali to complete the job on the fourth morning.

They were aided though by poor shot selection from the hosts' lower order.

Kemar Roach, noted for his tailender's defiance as displayed in the first innings, swung hopefully at the second delivery he faced from Usman to be bowled for a "duck".

Justin Greaves, the last real hope for any meaningful West Indian resistance, dragged an attempted pull at Mohammad Ali onto his middle stump, and the innings was wrapped up when Shamar Joseph, having already struck two boundaries, essayed another big swing at Usman only for a skied leading edge to be easily pouched by wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan.

Pakistan's win also broke a streak of eight consecutive Test match defeats away from home, which started with a 360-run annihilation at the hands of Australia in Perth in December, 2023.

(P.Clark--TAG)