Pakistan on the back foot
Misbah steadies Pakistan after Rampaul burst
At stumps, on day one, Pakistan was 180 for six, with Abdur Rehman at 1, and Mohammad Salman at 8 runs.
Azhar Ali and Umar Akmal had returned to pavilion after relatively substantial contributions of 67 and 56 respectively.
Earlier in the day, Pakistan had reached 106 for four in their first innings when rain forced an early tea in the second Test against West Indies on Friday.
Azhar Ali was not out on 36 and Umar Akmal was not out on 23, trying to continue the salvage operations for the Pakistanis after they ran into early strife on the weather-affected opening day at Warner Park.
Misbah-ul-Haq had added an even 50 for the fourth wicket with Azhar, resurrecting the visitors from a shaky 24 for three inside the first hour of the day.
The Pakistan captain got things going after lunch when he carved Kemar Roach and Bishoo for boundaries.
Misbah was caught low down at mid-on for 25 off leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo, essaying an ill-advised on-drive, leaving Pakistan 74 for four.
Akmal came to the crease and immediately got into the thick of things with a flick through backward square leg for his first boundary, then drove Ravi Rampaul sweetly through cover off the back-foot for his second four.
He and Azhar however, were interrupted, when rain stopped play about 40 minutes before the scheduled tea break.
Ravi Rampaul exposed Pakistan’s fragile batting line-up again, claiming three top-order wickets as the visitors went to lunch on the first day of the second and final Test, tottering at 46 for three.
Pakistan, who need to win to level the series after the hosts won the first match by 40 runs, were left ruing taking first strike. By the time the interval arrived after 25 overs, it was left to the captain Misbahul Haq and Azhar Ali to ensure there were no further hiccups.
Opener Taufeeq Umar, who has had a miserable tour so far, made 11 before Rampaul claimed the wicket of the opener. His attempt to fend off a rising delivery saw it go straight to the wicket-keeper before the West Indies fast-bowler picked up his partner’s wicket as Mohammad Hafeez was sent packing four runs later to a delivery that bounced a bit more and Pakistan were on the back foot.
Two overs later and with the addition of two more runs, Asad Shafiq led his downfall, edging a wide delivery straight to point.
At 24 for three, Misbah and Ali went into their shells, batting at snail’s pace as they added 22 in the next 12 overs to take Pakistan safely at lunch. While Misbah faced 33 deliveries for 12, Ali consumed 60 for his 12.
Rampaul, who claimed seven wickets in the first match, returned with impressive figures of three for 13. West Indies captain Darren Sammy, whose performance in the first match earned him the man-of-the-match award, bowled seven overs for 10 runs and troubled Pakistan batsmen who have found the going rather tough on the tour.
Pakistan started off as favourites in the two-match series and were looking to bag their first Test series win in the Caribbean but are now fighting to save face at St Kitts.
Pakistan play Ireland in two One-Day Internationals following the completion of the West Indies tour.
Brathwaite makes Test debut
West Indies replaced opening batsman Devon Smith with teenager Kraigg Brathwaite for the second Test.
Barbadian opener Brathwaite, 18, is the only change in the 13-man squad as the home team aim to win only their third Test series in the last seven years.
Brathwaite made his first-class debut aged just 16 and earned a place in the West Indies squad for the Test series against Bangladesh in 2009 when several senior players were on strike.
A patient batsman who has modelled his dogged approach on Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Brathwaite was the leading run-scorer for the West Indies under-19 squad at the 2010 World Cup in
New Zealand and that has led to his selection against Pakistan.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 21st, 2011.
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