Pakistan favourites in day five showdown
Pakistan will start day five of the second Test against the West Indies as favourites despite a gritty performance from the hosts on day four in Barbados.
The West Indies established a 183 run lead but have lost all but one of their second innings wickets.
The slow scoring rate meant that even though the West Indies dominated most of the day a flurry of wickets put Pakistan well on top.
Shimron Hetmyer was the first West Indies batsman to depart on day four after they resumed on 40 for 1.
The young man who made his debut in the first Test couldn’t add to his overnight score of 22 before being bowled by Mohammad Amir.
Unlike the first innings each West Indies batsman in turn put a high price on their wicket digging in and giving the day a tense if somewhat slow feel.
Shai Hope played an innings of great patience repaying the faith the selectors have put in him with a knock of 90 off 219 balls.
CONGRATS! Shai Hope on a fighting half century: 124 balls, 3 hours and 14 minutes, 5×4 pic.twitter.com/6wTGl0HtWJ
— westindies (@westindies) May 3, 2017
The one persistent threat the West Indies faced was that of Yasir Shah who picked up yet another five for ending the day with figures of 6 for 90 from 39 overs.
Pakistan shared the workload among just four bowlers on a day where the West Indies kept them in the field for 88 overs something that may tell against them if the hosts can somehow force a deciding Test.
Hope was involved in three successive fifty plus partnerships first with Kraigg Brathwaite (43) then with Roston Chase (23) and finally with Vishaul Singh (32).
Yasir enticed Hope into an uppish stroke with a flighted delivery and he picked out Azhar Ali at cover to end a fine knock.
The West Indies lost five wickets in the second half of the final session to surrender the initiative to Pakistan although credit must go to Yasir for tearing through the lower order.
Devendra Bishoo (16*) and Shannon Gabriel (0) were at the crease at stumps still fighting to give the West Indies a chance on what could prove to be a fascinating final day, they will resume on day five on 264 for 9.
