Advantage Pakistan after day three

Cricket365
April 24, 2017

Another rain interrupted day in Jamaica saw Pakistan seize control of the first Test against the West Indies.

Pakistan would reach 201 for 4 by the close of play on day three just 85 runs behind the West Indies first innings total.

The West Indies resumed their innings on 278 for 9 but would only add 8 runs to their overnight total.

It didn’t take long for Mohammad Amir to wrap up the West Indies innings bowling Shannon Gabriel (5) and leaving Jason Holder not out on 57.

Amir returned career best figures of 6 for 44.

Pakistan would make slow but steady progress towards the Windies score held back by disciplined bowling attack.

Alzarri Joseph drew first blood for the West Indies getting Azhar Ali (15) to nick off to leave the visitors 23 for 1.

The hosts struck again shortly afterwards when Holder trapped Ahmed Shahzad (31) leg before and they might have hoped to make inroads into the Pakistan middle-order.

However Babar Azam and Younis Khan steadied the ship adding 131 runs for the third wicket.

Younis became the first Pakistan batsman to record 10,000 Test runs in the process.

Gabriel struck twice to get the West Indies back in the contest having Younis (58) caught at cover before bowling Babar Azam (72) in his next over.

Misbah-ul-Haq (5*) and Asad Shafiq (5*) would survive until the umpires called play off for bad light.

With just two days left Pakistan will need the game to move forward a lot quicker if they are to have any chance of claiming a win while the West Indies will need to bowl the visitors out as soon as possible to stay in the match.