Tanvir gives Pakistan late boost

Tourists pile up a competitive score by lunch on the second day.

BASSETERRE:

Tanvir Ahmed completed a maiden half-century and frustrated West Indies with Saeed  Ajmal for close to two hours, as Pakistan were dismissed for 272 shortly before lunch in the second Test yesterday.

Tanvir led a late recovery for the Pakistanis with 57 and Ajmal was not out on 23, establishing a new ground record of 78 for the last wicket on the second day of the Test at Warner Park.

The visitors’ tail-enders defied the West Indies decision to take the second new ball, mixing occasional strokes of adventure with resolute batting, after their side slumped to 194 for nine inside the first hour on the second morning.

Tanvir reached his 50 from 93 balls, when he edged a delivery outside the off-stump from Ravi Rampaul wide of slip, and into the third-man boundary for his ninth four.

But he was dismissed when he played back and across to a leg-break from Devendra Bishoo, and was adjudged lbw, a decision he unsuccessfully reviewed.

He had served early notice, when he rocked onto the back-foot, and pulled a short delivery from Bishoo over midwicket for his first boundary, a similar shot he executed a few overs later off Rampaul for his third four.

Ajmal joined the fun, when he top-edged a hook from Kemar Roach to the fine-leg boundary for his first four, and upper cut another short, rising delivery from Rampaul over the third-man boundary for six. Tanvir lofted Bishoo over mid-wicket for his fifth boundary to raise the 50 partnership with Ajmal before the leg-spinner brought the innings to a close a few overs later.

When play opened half-hour earlier than scheduled to compensate for time lost on the previous day due to poor weather, Pakistan ran into early trouble, after beginning the day on 180 for six.

They lost Abdur Rehman caught behind off West Indies captain Darren Sammy for three, playing defensively forward, and edging a delivery angled across him in the third over of the morning.

In the next over, Mohammad Salman was caught at mid-on for 13, hitting across a well-pitched leg-break.

Wahab Riaz was dropped on nought by wicket-keeper Carlton Baugh off Roach, but failed to make use of the chance, when the West Indies pair got it right four deliveries later. The Pakistani fast bowler failed to score, but Tanvir and Ajmal added substance to the innings.

Rampaul happy with ideal start

Earlier, Before lunch, Pakistan’s top-order batting was again undermined by Rampaul as the visitors limped to 46 for three. Pakistan was left reeling, following a devastating opening burst from Rampaul, who claimed all three scalps before the interval.

“The pitch here is usually ideal for the batsmen,” said Rampaul. “In past matches it has always been a batting track, but it had in some extra moisture in the morning and I was able to get the ball to bounce and carry. I knew I had to use whatever little advantage we had and I decided to exploit it and I got the result we were looking for as a team.”

“It was the ideal start,” said Rampaul. “We knew from the start it was going to be a good pitch for batting but in the back of my mind I was thinking maybe we could get them for something in the region of 250.”

Pakistan made one change to their team replacing Umar Gul with fast bowler Tanvir. West Indies suffered a setback with veteran Shivnarine Chanderpaul sidelined with a sore shoulder to be replaced by Marlon Samuels as one of two changes. The other saw Kraigg Brathwaite making his debut at the expense of left-hander Devon Smith, and is the fifth youngest West Indies Test player ever.

Pakistan trail 1-0 in the two-Test series, following a 40-run defeat inside four days in the first Test, which ended last Sunday at the Guyana National Stadium, crushing the visitors’ dreams of a maiden Test series victory in the Caribbean.

WI aim for 6th place

Darren Sammy, the West Indies captain, has his eyes set on improving West Indies’ standing in the ICC rankings, something they will achieve if they win or draw this Test.

The hosts lead the series 1-0, after Sammy led by example to seal a 40-run win and a series-win will help them swap places with Pakistan in the rankings. West Indies are currently ranked seventh and Pakistan sixth.

Sammy expressed his optimism when asked whether it seemed possible to him that his team would move up the rankings. He confirmed that he had a solid plan.

“Moving up the rankings is definitely one of our team goals so we all know what’s at stake,” said Sammy. “We, as a team, met in Barbados before the Sri Lanka tour and had a plan for the next three years which was to move up the table and we want to achieve that target.”

Ravi Rampaul

“The pitch is usually ideal for the batsmen but it had some extra moisture in the morning and I was able to get the ball to bounce and carry. I knew I had to use whatever advantage we had. I got the result we were looking for as a team.”



Published in The Express Tribune, May 22^nd, 2011.