File photo of Shaheen Afridi.
Fast bowler Shaheen Afridi took a career-best 6-51 as Pakistan established control of the second cricket test against the West Indies on the fourth day on Monday night, placing itself in a position to level the two-match series.
Left-armer Shaheen joined with Mohammad Abbas, who took 3-44, to rout the West Indies for 150, giving Pakistan a commanding 152-run first innings lead.
Pakistan captain Babar Azam then made a bold declaration of its second innings at 176-6 more than an hour before stumps, setting the West Indies a chase for 329 in around 130 overs to win the match and series.
The West Indies suffered another blow when opener Kieran Powell was run out for 23 less than 30 minutes from stumps. Captain Kraigg Brathwaite carried his team through to the close when he 17 not out and the West Indies were 49-1, still 280 runs behind.
“It was a (helpful) wicket and in the first innings I just tried to bowl length and work in partnerships and that brought the success,” Shaheen said. “Early on you just try to bowl fuller on supportive wickets.
“The bowling partnerships are good with me and (Mohammad) Abbas and Hasan (Ali) and Faheem (Ashraf). If you work well in partnership then success comes.”
The West Indies already were in trouble when they resumed their first innings Monday at 39-3 in reply to Pakistan’s 302-9 declared. Shaheen, who took two of the three wickets to fall before stumps on day three, dismissed nightwatchman Alzarri Joseph for 4 in the fourth over of the day.
Overnight batsman Nkrumah Bonner and Jermaine Blackwood formed a defiant partnership for the fifth wicket which added 60 runs before Abbas dismissed Bonner for 39, then removed Kyle Mayers next ball as the West Indies slipped to 105-6.
Abbas tested Bonner with several deliveries angled into the stump, then caused one to nip away on off stump which took an edge and carried to wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan. He then went round the wicket to Mayers who, low on confidence, played at a full length ball angling across him and gave Rizwan another simple catch.
Mayers, grappling with a serious form slump, made a first-ball duck in the first innings of the first test and a four-ball duck in the second innings.
Blackwood fell to Shaheen for 33, fending a short ball from the shoulder of the bat to Fawad Alam at gully when the West Indies were 109-7.
Jason Holder led some late resistance, making 26 in just under an hour before also falling to the Shaheen-Rizwan double act when he was beaten by a full ball which moved away late and gave Shaheen his fifth wicket.
Shaheen ended the innings when he removed Kemar Roach, lifting his tally of wickets for the series to 14. He took 4-59 in the first innings of the first test and 4-50 in the second innings, giving him 14 wickets for 160 runs at an average of 11.4 for the series when the West Indies first innings ended.
Pakistan appeared bent on an early declaration when it began its second innings, rushing to 176-6 from 27.2 overs at 6.4 runs per over. The Pakistan top order all made starts but were out relatively cheaply: Imran Butt made 37 and Abid Ali 29 in a 70-run opening partnership; Azhar Ali 22, Babar 33 and Hasan Ali 17 also contributed. Babar had the longest stay at the crease at 73 minutes.
Joseph took 2-22 and Holder 2-27.
A total of 19 overs had been bowled at stumps and the pitch showed signs of slowing with some edged shots falling short of the slip cordon.
