Noman brings Pakistan back into the game after West Indies’ quick start

Cricket

Lunch West Indies 163 and 129 for 5 (Greaves 5*, Noman 4-59) lead Pakistan 154 by 138 runs

West Indies produced perhaps the best batting performance of the series, led by a half-century from their captain Kraigg Brathwaite, to take control of the second Test, taking lunch at 129 for 5. A 50-run opening partnership and further resistance from debutant Amir Jangoo saw West Indies lead by 101 with nine wickets in hand at one point. Pakistan came back into the game in the final 45 minutes, striking four times to peg West Indies back and retain hopes of chasing a total below 200.

Brathwaite had challenged his side to be more aggressive, and led from the front. The tempo was set when he launched Sajid Khan over long-on for six in the fifth over before consecutive boundaries to start off Noman Ali‘s spell. It sent the message the duo wasn’t going to have things their way, and Brathwaite kept reinforcing that in offence and defence.

Abrar Ahmed, too, saw his second ball whipped through midwicket for four, but Mikyle Louis was neither as positive nor as comfortable. That was how Pakistan got back into the game, drawing him into a prod towards the off side, Shan Masood taking a straightforward catch at short extra cover.

Brathwaite slapped Noman for six over long-on but found himself slowing down as he approached his half-century. Jangoo, though, motored along nicely, and when he helped himself to two boundaries off Abrar in an over, West Indies’ lead approached three figures.

But Pakistan’s spinners brought them back into the game. Brathwaite survived two raised fingers off consecutive deliveries with successful reviews but fell in the next over when he tried to charge Noman and ended up beaten by extra turn. It was a manner of dismissal almost identical to the one that would snare Kavem Hodge in the minutes before lunch. In the meantime, Sajid was getting into the game, too. He had dismissed Jangoo shortly after Brathwaite went walkabout, forcing the issue with a sweep when he appeared to have misjudged the flight and pitch of the delivery. It ended up taking a feather off the bottom of the bat to slip, and West Indies had two new batters at the crease.

The final over before lunch saw Pakistan strike a fifth time, Noman landing the ball in the footmarks and ripping it back into the pads. An enthused appeal – needed partially because Pakistan have burnt all three reviews – was successful, and while West Indies may still have the upper hand, their position is nowhere near as impregnable as it might have been an hour earlier.

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