WI vs PAK: Shaheen Shah Afridi’s Magical Spell Leads Pakistan to a Series-levelling Win

Cricket

2005, 2011 and 2021. Three two-match series in a row West Indies took the lead at home, only for Pakistan to drag them back to parity. Rain, wet outfield, poor light all conspired to try and deny Babar Azam’s side triumph in this Test, but Pakistan’s positive approach and relentlessness in pursuit of a result was rewarded with a hugely gratifying 109-run win.

 


Shaheen Shah Afridi was the hero, finishing with a match haul of 10 wickets as West Indies folded against a well-rounded attack. It meant they will have to wait a few more years to record a first Test series win over Pakistan since 2001.

 

Brief Scores

Pakistan 1st Innings: 302 for 9 declared

West Indies 1st Innings: 150 all out

Pakistan 2nd Innings: 176 for 6 declared

West Indies 2nd Innings: 219 all out (Jason Holder 47, Kraigg Brathwaite 39, Kyle Mayers 32; Shaheen Shah Afridi 4/43, Nauman Ali 3/52, Hasan Ali 2/37)

 

Match Review

 

Starting the day at 49 for one and facing the unlikely target of 329, the West Indies were again let down by their top-order batting, sliding to 113 for six in mid-afternoon despite a battling 39 from captain Kraigg Brathwaite. Shaheen kept Pakistan’s hopes alive with a devastating first innings effort of six for 51 on day four, his best Test innings performance and returned on the final day to strike critical blows.

 

Then, when it seemed the weather would ruin their desperate push for victory, he came back for a final spell with the second new ball to take the last two wickets and give his team a tremendous triumph with one hour to spare. Afridi then induced a mistimed drive from Joshua da Silva for Faheem Ashraf to take the catch at mid-on and dismiss the West Indies for 219.

 

 

Fiery Shaheen takes career-best figures to run through West Indies

 

Afridi earned laurels from all quarters with his career-best performance. He got the best match figures for Pakistan quick since 2006. With his fiery pace and deceiving swing, Shaheen was able to bamboozle the West Indies and take a career-best 6/51.

 

The PCB took to Twitter to share a list of Pakistani bowlers best bowling figures in a test match at Sabina Park

 


Afridi’s match haul of 10 for 94,  his first ten-for, helped him shoot up ten spots to No. 8

 

 

 

Here are some exciting twitter reactions on Shaheen’s magical performance

 

 


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