It is fair to state the 5th and final day for both Pakistan and West Indies was a decisive day. The former in pursuit of not only squaring the series but maintain their unblemished Test series record against the host for 20 years, since the year 2000. The West Indies incidentally last beat the Pakistanis in a three-match Test Series at St John’s Park in Antiqua under the leadership of Jimmy Adams by one wicket. Wasim Akram despite ending up on the losing side was Adjudicated as a man of the match for his 11 wickets match bag.
Sabina Park at Kingston Jamaica greeted both teams with bright sunshine, on day 5 with the hosts facing a Herculean task of saving the game, needing to bat out the 98 overs on offer to the Pakistanis who set West Indies a target of 329 Runs. The hosts were 49 runs for 1 wicket overnight with skipper Kraigg Braithwaite on 17 and Nightwatchman Alzari Joseph on 8. Records indicated that Pakistan had failed to defend a 300 plus target only on three occasions in the past, with no threat of rain Pakistan looked favorites given the pitch conditions on day 5 at Sabina Park.
The overnight pair looked settled till Alzari Joseph, ventured for an unwanted pull off a slow bouncer from man of the match Shaheen Afridi and gave a simple catch to keeper Mohd Rizwan and the hosts lost their 2nd wicket with 65 on the board.
Nkrumar Bonner , who looked good in the first innings, was victim number 2 adjudicated LBW, off the first ball of Hasan Ali ‘s very first ball of the innings, when the ball hit a crack on the surface, straighten and had the right-hand plum in front for 2 runs, with that the writing was on the wall for the hosts 69 for 4 wickets. Roston Chase departed brilliantly caught at 2nd slip by Imran Butt to Ali his second scalp of the morning with the score on 73.
With 4 Wickets down for 73 runs, Jermine Blackwood joined Kraigg Braithwaite his skipper, both captain, and vice Captain huffed and puffed against an accurate Pakistani bowling attack. With the score on 101, Barber Azzam introduced his left-arm spinner Nahuman Ali , who had Blackwood pushing at a delivery which had a bit of bounce and that too with hard hands giving Nauman a victory celebration when wicketkeeper took a brilliant catch and the 5th wicket fell just before lunch on 101 with Blackwood dismissed for 25 well-made runs.
Kyle Mayers and Kraigg Braithwaite took the hosts to Lunch with 113 for 5 wickets, and the skipper unbeaten on 39 , still trailing by 216 runs with 5 wickets in hand.
The Pakistanis worked on Kraigg Braithwaite’s technical issue. His back foot which is his right leg stays stable when he plays at deliveries. Soon after lunch out of frustration Braithwaite gives Nauman his second wicket, the skipper found wanting by playing a lose shot and West Indies slumped to 113 for 6 Wickets, Bratwaitt out for his lunchtime score fir 39.
Jayson Holder and Kyle Mayers, played some good shots, a glimmer of hope for the West Indies looked in the horizon as the bright sunshine, suddenly turned into rain clouds. But Kyle Mayers batting on 32, played the wrong line to a Shaheen Afridi outswinger and fell victim when Rizwan gloved him with West indies on 153 for 7 wickets. Jason Holder trotted off to the Pavillion with rain pouring down at Sabina.
The Pakistanis after doing the hard work were in distress looking at the sky. Players took an early break for tea, Pakistan would not have enjoyed the cuppa, but the weather Gods smiled and the rain stopped.
With the spinner operating from one end, Holder helped himself for some runs, stitched a partnership of 46 with Joshua Da Silva the wicket-keeper but fell short by 3 runs for what looked an entertaining half-century, giving Nauman his 3rd wicket when Faward Allam caught him for 47. West Indies 199 for 8 Wickets.
The new ball was taken at 80 overs, the rest was history as Shaheen Afridi feasted with lower order to bowl West Indies out for 219.
Pakistan win by 109 runs, square the series, maintain their unblemished 20 year Test series Record against the West Indies, Afridi not only wins the man of the match award but also the series award.
Both teams will put the red ball into their closets and get back to white-ball cricket as Pakistan head back for the Afghanistan series.
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