Records have tumbled in the first ever day-night Test outside Australia as Pakistan overcame the West Indies by 56 runs in a highly entertaining clash in Dubai.
If any questions about the viability of day-night tests still lingered, they were put to bed with Pakistan opener Azhar Ali plundering 302 not out, Pakistan’s fourth highest score and the first ever century in a day-night test.
With a total of 579-3, few would have given the West Indies much hope of revival after only being able to muster 357 all out in response, Pakistan’s leg-spinner Yasir Shah the star taking 5-43 to become the joint-second fastest bowler of all time to take 100 wickets.
With Pakistan looking to beat the calypso men into submission by refusing to enforce the follow-on, the West Indies had their backs against the wall.
However, there’s been a renaissance of sorts for the West Indies in the past 12 months, showing a backbone not seen from them for years.
And Davendra Bishoo personified this, turning and drifting the ball right angles, bamboozling the Pakistan batting order on his way to 8-49 in Pakistan’s second innings, the fifth-best figures for a West Indies bowler and the best by a visiting bowler to Asia.
Restricting Pakistan to 123 in the second innings, the West Indies left themselves an improbable, but very gettable, 346 for victory.
Darren Bravo’s gritty 116 put the match very much in the balance, but the visitors were eventually bundled all out for 289 with Mohammad Amir and Shah Pakistan’s chief destroyers.
The teams will now head to Abu Dhabi for the second Test starting on Friday.
Newshub.
