West Indies 311 (Hope 92, Hodge 84, Ali 4-50) and 181 (Joseph 38, Chanderpaul 35, Abbas 5-22) beat Pakistan 282 (Masood 109, Imam 63, Greaves 5-27) and 120 (Babar 58*, Seales 5-18) by 90 runs
Chasing 211 for victory, Pakistan crumbled from the outset, losing three wickets before lunch as their batting lineup struggled against dominant West Indies bowling. Babar Azam fought valiantly but ran out of support, extending Pakistan’s dismal record of eight consecutive away Test defeats while ensuring West Indies maintained their series advantage.
Pakistan’s well-documented struggles in fourth-innings chases created immediate pressure on the fourth morning, with Shamar Joseph and Kemar Roach aiming to build on their crucial eighth-wicket partnership. Having resumed at 93 for 7, they had pushed the lead to 155 overnight, but West Indies’ attack remained relentless.
The day began poorly for Pakistan with wayward bowling from Mohammad Ali and sloppy keeping from Mohammad Rizwan, allowing four byes and a dropped catch that gifted the hosts momentum early. Joseph continued his aggressive approach with a powerful straight six off Khurram Shahzad, but a slower delivery from Ali eventually broke through, ending the valuable partnership after 61 runs.
The tailenders continued to contribute useful runs before Mohammad Abbas returned to finish the innings, claiming a well-deserved five-wicket haul that sealed West Indies’ first innings advantage.
However, West Indies’ performance improved dramatically in the second session. Alzarri Seales and Kemar Roach maintained tight line and length from the start, with Seales striking early when the ball jagged back to hit Imam-ul-Haq’s gloves en route to the keeper. Azan Awais followed shortly after, caught by Seales’ skillful bowling that produced enough movement to draw an edge.
Seales delivered his finest moment against Salman Agha, extracting sharp movement from over the wicket to trap him lbw with a delivery that crashed into middle stump. The absence of an injured Shan Masood disrupted Pakistan’s batting order, but West Indies continued their systematic dismantling of the visitors.
Justin Greaves continued his exceptional form from the first innings, using seam movement to dismiss Rizwan by cleaning his off stump with his opening delivery. His dominance continued as he trapped the struggling Aamer Jamal in front, marking his seventh wicket in seven overs.
Masood eventually took the crease after Ali Usman’s brief debut ended with a catch to second slip, but his injured hand significantly limited his effectiveness. Batting primarily one-handed due to a fractured finger, he was eventually dismissed tamely, scooping the ball to backward point.
As Pakistan’s innings collapsed, the only resistance came from an entertaining tenth-wicket partnership between Babar and Abbas. Babar initially protected his partner before taking risks, swinging aggressively and relying on luck to reach his 32nd half-century.
Despite their efforts, the resistance proved futile. Seales struck with his second delivery after tea, bowling Abbas lbw and finally breaking Pakistan’s modest resistance. West Indies secured a well-deserved victory on what would have been Garry Sobers’ 90th birthday, providing a fitting tribute to the legendary all-rounder.
