Pakistan’s Mohammad Abbas claimed his first five-wicket haul in Test cricket to trigger a West Indies first-innings collapse to 247 all out before lunch on the fourth day of the third and final Test at Windsor Park in Dominica on Saturday.
However the tourists lost two early wickets in seeking to build on a first-innings lead of 129 and will resume after the interval at eight for two in their second turn at the crease, an overall advantage of 137 runs with eight wickets in hand.
Increasingly impressive in his first Test series, Abbas took the last four wickets of the innings for three runs in a four-over spell after an early breakthrough from fellow pacer Mohammad Amir to finish with the excellent figures of five for 46 off 25 disciplined overs.
West Indies’ tumble of lower-order wickets from the overnight position of 218 for five and Pakistan’s early second-innings setbacks were in stark contrast to the tedious progress of the match with both teams combining for a pedestrian scoring rate of under two-and-a-half runs per over as only 15 wickets fell over the first three days’ play.
Amir raised the visitors’ hopes of earning a potentially decisive first-innings lead when he removed Shane Dowrich to just the fourth ball of the day as the wicketkeeper-batsman´s lazy stab outside the off-stump dragged the ball back onto his stumps without any addition to the overnight score.
Roston Chase, who was forced to retire hurt on 60 the previous evening due to a blow on his right elbow, resumed his innings in partnership with Jason Holder and the pair seemed to be progressing without too much difficulty until Abbas replaced Amir from the pavilion end.
Chase was bowled off his pads for 69 by a full-length delivery and Devendra Bishoo then edged his first ball low to second slip where the ever-reliable Younis Khan came up with his tenth catch of the series. For Younis, who like captain Misbah ul Haq is playing the final match for his country, the effort put him into the record books for the most catches ever by a Pakistani fielder in a Test series.
Alzarri Joseph survived the attempt at a hat-trick but Abbas was not to be denied his first five-for, also bowling Joseph off his pads and then having last man Shannon Gabriel taken at short-leg to leave Holder unbeaten on 30.
Any thoughts of a sedate half-hour to the lunch break for Pakistan’s openers disappeared when Azhar Ali slashed at a short ball from Gabriel for substitute fielder Jermaine Blackwood to take the sharp catch at backward point.
There was further jubilation for the West Indies off the last ball before the interval as Babar Azam’s poor run was extended with his third duck in four innings. Shimron Hetmyer snared the catch at short-leg when the right-hander pushed forward to Chase, whose off-spinners are expected to play a significant role through the afternoon in the home side’s quest to limit Pakistan’s overall advantage.
Join GhanaStar.com to receive daily email alerts of breaking news in Ghana. GhanaStar.com is your source for all Ghana News. Get the latest Ghana news, breaking news, sports, politics, entertainment and more about Ghana, Africa and beyond.