T&T’s giant fast bowler Shannon Gabriel grabbed his first ever five-wicket haul in Test cricket but the batsmen could not back him up on the second day of the second Test of the Haier Cup series against Pakistan. This was at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, yesterday.
Pakistan lost their last six wickets for 150 runs and the West Indies responded with 106 for four.
Gabriel bowling with great pace in the heat of Abu Dhabi caused problems for the Pakistanis and was able to remove batting mainstay Misbah ul Haq for 96, which crippled the back end of the innings. He finished with 5/96 and on the back of this performance, the West Indies went out looking to ensure a rare good day of Test cricket but it was not to be.
The visitors struggled to 106 for four and when play resumes today, the West Indies will be looking for another 147 runs to avoid the follow-on.
After bowling Pakistan out an hour after lunch for 452, the West Indies went to the tea break on 27 without loss. However after the break they lost Johnson, who was trapped leg before by Rahat Ali for 12, with the score at 27.
Darren Bravo opened the batting with Johnson because regular opener Kraigg Brathwaite did not stay on the field, as long as he was off for a slight niggle. Had he been on for a further three minutes before Pakistan innings ended, he would have been able to open the batting.
Bravo made the most of the opportunity with the new hard ball coming on and played some pleasing shots. The left hander who has recorded scores of 87 and 116 in the series so far, looked on course for another big knock but was stopped on 43 by Yasir Shah.
The leg spinner trapped Bravo sweeping a straight delivery, to record his 50th Test wicket in the desert. Bravo faced 85 balls and struck six fours.
Marlon Samuels joined Brathwaite who was batting at number three and after an unsure start against Shah, produced six beautifully struck fours but just as he was looking to close up shop for the day, edged Rahat to Aslam for 30. At 106 for three the West Indies were in a spot of bother and without addition to the score, they were in deep trouble, as Brathwaite was run out for 21.
Earlier, Pakistan resumed on the bedtime position of 304 for four and the early focus was on Misbah getting his 11th Test century but it was not to be. Not looking as fluent as he did the evening before, the 42-year old looked on as nightwatchman Shah played some audacious shots from the other end. The two added 28 runs before Misbah was struck plumb in front of the wicket for 96 by the persevering Gabriel. He faced 162 balls, hitting four fours and two sixes.
Shah, the Pathan was not going to go down wondering and played shot after shot, finally pulling Jason Holder to Devendra Bishoo at square leg for 23 of 31 balls. Sarfraz Ahmed came in and in his usual busy way, piled on the runs, killing off any thoughts the West Indies would have entertained of making a strong finish.
Playing bold shots both sides of the wicket on a pitch that remained excellent for batting, Sarfraz in partnership with Mohammad Nawaz took Pakistan to 401/6 at the lunch break. The little right hander was unbeaten on 45 at the break with Nawaz on 16.
Gabriel must have enjoyed lunch, as he came out firing on all cylinders and soon uprooted the stumps of Sarfraz, as he was beaten for pace. The wicketkeeper made 56 of 59 balls with six fours and fell with the score at 412, after a seventh-wicket partnership of 75 runs with Nawaz.
The left handed Nawaz would follow him back into the hut soon after bowled by Holder for 25. Holder grabbed his third wicket when a well set Sohail Khan fell to a brilliant catch by Johnson but Pakistan by that time had crossed the 450-run plateau.
Gabriel ended the innings by getting Zulfiqar Babar caught behind by Hope without scoring.
SCOREBOARD
West Indies vs Pakistan
Pakistan 1st inns
A Ali b Gabriel 0
S Aslam b Bishoo 6
A Shafiq b Gabriel 68
Y Khan c Chase b Brathwaite 127
M ul Haq lbw Gabriel 96
Y Shah c Bishoo b Holder 23
S Ahmed b Gabriel 56
M Nawaz b Holder 25
S Khan c Johnson b Holder 26
Z Babar c Hope b Gabriel 0
R Ali not out 0
Extras: 1b, 15lb, 9nb 25
Total: all out 452
Fall of wkts: 6, 42, 129, 304, 332, 342, 417, 430, 452, 452.
Bowling: S Gabriel 23.1-1-96-5 (9nb), M Cummins 20-1-65-0, J Holder 22-8-47-3, D Bishoo 26-0-112-1, R Chase 19-1-80-0, K Brathwaite 9-0-36-1.
WI 1st inns
L Johnson lbw Rahat 12
D Bravo lbw Yasir 43
K Brathwaite run out 21
M Samuels c Aslam b Rahat 30
D Bishoo not out 0
J Blackwood not out 0
Extras 0
Total for 4 wkts 106
Fall of wkts: 27, 65, 106, 106.
Bowling: Rahat Ali 12-6-31-2, Sohail Khan 9-3-16-0, Zulfiqar Babar 11-1-29-0, Asad Shafiq 1-0-2-0, Yasir Shah 12-5-28-1.
