Previous story filed prior to the beginning of third day’s play
West Indies still requires 510 runs more to touch Pakistan’s first innings score of 579 in the first day-night Test at the Dubai International Stadium.
Kraigg Brathwaite and Darren Bravo were on 32 and 14 runs respectively while team’s total score was 69 for 1 at stumps on Friday night. However Leon Johnson missed the opportunity on a flat track to stay in the crease for a longer period and was given out leg before wicket (LBW) off Yasir Shah for 15 runs.
Earlier while batting first in first innings, Pakistan scored 579 for 3 before Misbah-ul Haq announced declaration. All three partnerships, Pakistani batsmen established were well over 100.
The opener Azhar Ali scored a brilliant triple century, becoming 10th Pakistani batsmen to achieve the landmark. Sami Aslam remained second highest scorer for Pakistan with 90 runs followed by Babar Azam 69 and Asad Shafiq 67.
The Captain Misbah-ul Haq scored 29 runs without losing his wicket.
For West Indies, leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo grabbed 2 wickets while off-spinner Roston Chase took 1.
It’s Pakistan’s first Test which is being played under floodlights, and in which a pink is being used. It is also Pakistan’s 400th Test match since it began its Test journey with a match in Delhi against India in 1952. Since then, Pakistan succeeded in 128 matches, suffered defeats in 113 while 158 matches ended without yielding any result.
Pakistan landed in United Arab Emirates (UAE) as No. 1 Test team in ICC rankings; however, the title was reclaimed by India following a Test series win against New Zealand.
Following a two successive whitewash series in its favour, Pakistan having the services of Misbah-ul Haq and Yasir Shah again looks more likely to snatch another one over West Indies. Yasir needs just 4 more victims to complete his 100 International Test wickets.
