WI vs Pak, 1st Test: Roach, Seales strike but Babar take visitors' lead to 124 runs
Aug 15, 2021
Kingston [Jamaica], August 15 : Faheem Ashraf saw out a tricky evening session along with skipper Babar Azam as Pakistan extended their lead to 124 runs in the first Test against West Indies on Saturday.
At stumps, the Pakistan scorecard reads 160/5 with Babar and Faheem unbeaten at 54 and 12 runs respectively.
Trailing by 36 runs in the first innings after West Indies were dismissed for 253 within the first 16 balls of the day, Pakistan recovered from a precarious position of 65-4 to reach the close at 160-5.
There was a rain stoppage for close to two and a half hours in the final session, and Pakistan will enter Sunday's penultimate day with a lead of 124 runs.
Kemar Roach spearheaded the attack, claimed 2-15 from 15 high-quality overs while the 19-year-old Seales continued to reiterate his promise with 2-50 - both wickets coming in one over just after lunch to rock the Pakistan innings.
Resuming the morning on 251-8, West Indies added just two runs before 21-year-old left-arm seamer Shaheen Shah Afridi knocked over both overnight batsmen Jomel Warrican (1) and Joshua Da Silva (21) to end with 4-59.
However, Roach gave West Indies the ideal comeback when he brought one back to hit Imran Butt in front without scoring, in the third over with a single run on the board - the decision coming courtesy of DRS.
Opener Abid Ali then struck five fours and a six off 66 deliveries and Azhar Ali, three fours in a 60-ball knock, as they combined to add 55 for the second wicket and steady the innings.
On 56-2 at lunch, Pakistan slumped even further thanks to a double strike from Seales in the fifth over following the resumption.
First, the rampaging teenager had Abid caught at second slip by Holder, the right-hander adding only three to his lunch-time 31, before removing new batsman Fawad Alam without scoring three balls later, caught at the wicket by Da Silva pushing uncertainly forward.
Brief Scores: Pakistan 217 all out and 160/5 (Babar Azam 54; Kemar Roach 2-15); West Indies 253 (Kraigg Brathwaite 97, Jason Holder 58; Shaheen Afridi 4-59)
