KINGSTON: Yasir Shah completed a six-wicket haul to spearhead a second innings rout of the West Indies and put Pakistan on the verge of a comfortable victory on the final day of the first Test on Tuesday.
Trailing on the first innings by 121 runs and resuming at the overnight position of 93-4, the home side were dismissed for 152 after less than two hours’ play. Needing just 32 runs for a 1-0 lead in the series, the tourists lost both openers to go into lunch at 13-2.
Having taken the first four wickets late on the fourth evening, leg-spinner Yasir was kept waiting for more success at the start of play on the fifth day as the visitors’ faster bowlers continued the demolition job by taking the next four wickets.
However, Yasir was not to be denied another five-wicket innings haul. He wrapped up the innings with the wickets of Alzarri Joseph and Shannon Gabriel in the space of four deliveries in his 22nd over, finishing with 6-63 and a match haul of 8-154.
Mohammad Abbas replaced Amir and almost immediately struck two critical blows. Nightwatchman Devendra Bishoo flashed at a wide delivery to be caught by Younis Khan at second slip.
Shane Dowrich was then trapped LBW making it 129 for seven.
On Monday’s day four, Pakistan captain Misbah ul-Haq became just the sixth batsman in Test history to be left stranded on 99 not out as his side were dismissed for 407 in their first innings.
Misbah worked his team into a dominant position despite being left one run short of an 11th Test century when last man Abbas was trapped leg-before by Roston Chase on the stroke of the tea interval.
In his usual phlegmatic manner, Misbah ensured Pakistan constructed their position of dominance via a succession of partnerships.
It was Bishoo who eventually broke an 88-run sixth-wicket stand between Misbah and Sarfraz Ahmed, the wicket-keeper batsman playing in his usual pugnacious manner in getting to 54 before he was bowled around his legs attempting a sweep shot just after lunch.
Misbah achieved a milestone of his own when he notched his 5,000th Test career run before reaching the half-century mark and began to play an increasingly important role through the afternoon session as the West Indies emerged from the listless indifference of the first session to finally get among the wickets.
