Pakistan remain in control
Darren Bravo (87), Marlon Samuels (76) lead West Indies resistance
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP): AKISTAN SNARED three wickets with the second new pink ball in the day-night match as West Indies reached 315 for six at stumps yesterday on the third day of the first Test.
Darren Bravo led a staunch resistance for West Indies with a defiant 87 off 258 balls and Marlon Samuels made 76. But Wahab Riaz got two wickets in quick succession and Bravo was caught at short leg to give Pakistan control of the first Test.
Shane Dowrich was unbeaten on 27 and captain Jason Holder not out on 10 at stumps.
West Indies still trail by 264 runs in their first innings after Pakistan had posted a massive 579-3 declared on the back of Azhar Ali’s triple century.
PEARLY BREAKTHROUGH
Leg-spinner Yasir Shah provided an early breakthrough before West Indies had added to their overnight 69-1 when he clean-bowled Kraigg Brathwaite (32) in his first over.
Samuels, whose second halfcentury in the last 17 Test innings had 13 boundaries, defied Pakistan in a 113-run third-wicket stand with Bravo.
Samuels survived a tough Marlon Samuels ... 76.
chance soon after completing his fifty when Azhar injured his right hand while going for a catch off his own bowling and needed treatment off the field.
Seamer Sohail Khan finally got the breakthrough when he had Samuels on the back foot and trapped him leg before wicket in Pakistan’s only success during the second session.
Pakistan’s seamers changed their tactics with the second pink ball in the last session after little success with swing on a flat wicket up to dinner.
Jermaine Blackwood (37) and Bravo looked to rebuild the innings with a 77-run stand for the fourth wicket as Riaz challenged Blackwood with shortpitched deliveries before the right-hander finally gloved one behind.
Roston Chase (6), who had scored a century against India in the last Test series back home, also couldn’t get out of Riaz’s lifter – offering a simple catch at leg slip.
Bravo looked firm in his innings of more than six hours until Azhar returned from treatment and scooped a brilliant reflex catch in front of his face to give debutant left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz his maiden Test wicket.
Bravo hit nine fours and a six in his patient knock, but his late dismissal has exposed the West Indies tail. Pakistan 1st Innings 579-3 decl. West Indies 1st Innings (overnight 69 for one) K. Brathwaite b Yasir Shah L. Johnson lbw b Yasir Shah D. Bravo c Azhar Ali b Mohamma Nawaz M. Samuels lbw b Sohail Khan J. Blackwood c wkp Sarfraz Ahmed b Wahab Riaz 37 R. Chase c Babar Azam b Wahab Riaz 6 +S. Dowrich not out 27 *J. Holder not out 10 Extras (b9, lb8, w1, nb7) 25 Total (6 wkts, 109 overs) 315 32 15
87 76
D. Bishoo, M. Cummins, S. Gabriel. 1-42, 2-69, 3-182, 4-259, 5266, 6-300. Mohammad Amir 19-4-48-0 (nb1), Sohail Khan 16-2-56-1, Yasir Shah 36-14-97-2, Wahab Riaz 19.3-3-53-2 (w1, nb5), Mohammad Nawaz 16-5-38-1 (nb1), Azhar Ali 2.3-1-6-0. West Indies trail by 264 runs with four wickets intact. Pakistan R. Illingworth, P. Reiffel M. Gough. Darren Bravo .... made a solid 87.