Pakistan strengthen hold on Test after openers' blitz

Pakistan bossed another session extending their lead to 259 after the openers came out all guns blazing. It took Pakistan just six overs after Lunch to bowl West Indies out for 150, with Shaheen Afridi returning a career-best six-wicket haul. Pakistan took a lead of 152 as a result before their openers made their intent of getting quick runs clear from the start. Although both fell after a 70-run stand, they had put Pakistan in a strong position, who went to Tea on Day 4 on 107 for 3.

Fortune favoured Pakistan's under-fire openers early in the second session as edges fell safe, and to make matters worse, flew to the boundary as Pakistan had raced away to 27 in three overs. Imran Butt and Abid Ali thereafter dealt in boundaries as runs began to flow, with West Indies spreading out the field and bowling generous leg-side half-volleys, loose balls, short balls and anything with width from both Kemar Roach and Jayden Seales were punished. The pair hit ten boundaries in their 57-ball 70-run stand before Abid departed for 29 off 23. Butt fell soon after but the ead had gone past 200 at that point. West Indies struck back with Azhar Ali's wicket just before Tea but not before Pakistan had put themselves in a strong position, scoring at a rate just over 6 in the 17.3 overs they faced in the second innings.

Pakistan were desperate for a wicket for almost two-thirds of the opening extended session with Nkrumah Bonner and Jermaine Blackwood staging a fightback after the flurry of wickets last night. They resisted Afridi's fiery, and Mohammad Abbas's consistent spells for the majority of the first half as the pair put their heads down and stabilised West Indies' innings after a shaky start. All that until one ball that straightened enough from Mohammad Abbas just after the second drinks break to open the floodgates as West Indies lost four wickets in a hurry to end the session on 123 for 8 at Lunch.

Abbas was unlucky the entire morning despite disciplined spells, maintaining a good length, forcing the batsmen to play and asking questions, but wasn't rewarded with a wicket until Bonner played a ball that straightened just enough to take the outside edge. Behind the stumps, Mohammed Rizwan dived forward to scoops it up, breaking the 60-run stand to send the batsman back for 37. Next ball, Abbas went round the wicket to Kyle Mayers, whose horrendous run with the bat continued. He picked up his third successive duck as the angle into him forced an outside edge as he prodded forward to defend.

Shaheen Afridi, who had sent back nightwatchman Alzarri Joseph in the fourth over of the day for his third wicket, had consciously pulled his lengths back to Blackwood through the session. It was the same ploy that brought him dividends eventually as Blackwood fended a short one for it to balloon to gully. He was troubled by the short-of-length deliveries in that over, escaping a couple too, but eventually fell for 33 as two new batsmen were in the middle with Pakistan having their tails up.

West Indies reviewed a caught-behind decision against Joshua da Silva, who was given out. Abbas was not confident, but Rizwan and the slip cordon persisted. A flat line saved da Silva, but three balls later, the 'keeper-batsman was trapped leg before against one that stayed low as West Indies slipped further.

Brief scores: Pakistan302/9 dec &107/3 (Imran Butt 37)lead West Indies150 (Nkrumah Bonner 37, Jermaine Blackwood 33; Shaheen Afridi 6-51)by 259 runs.