West Indies vs Pakistan, 1st T20I - As it happened

ALL OVER - Pakistan win by six wickets

The result was never in doubt, not after Shadab Khan had bamboozled the home side with some fine leg-break bowling. He's arrived in style, and so have Pakistan, leaving West Indies with a lot of work to do before the next fixture. The visitors were superior to the hosts in all aspects of the game, and applied themselves on a slow surface in a small chase. That's all from us!

CLOSING DOWN...AND OUT

It's not over, till it's over, eh? Just when Babar Azam was looking to seal the game in Pakistan's favour, Holder has sent him packing. Azam exits for 29 off 30 balls. Pakistan reach 95 for 4 in 15 overs, and 17 runs off the last 30 balls. Over to Sarfraz Ahmed... Or Sunil Narine, based on which side of the fence you're on.

GNAWING AWAY

When the target isn't big, when the asking rate is low, what's the hurry, eh? That seems to be what Pakistan are currently swearing by. To be fair, it hasn't been easy to score runs, and Pakistan are doing the smart job of eating into the deficit slowly but steadily. They aren't making the mistake of getting stuck with dot balls or worse, losing wickets, while trying to go big. They have 68 for 3 in 12 overs, and need 44 off the last 48 balls. West Indies need one, big table-turning over to inject life into this fixture.

ON TRACK

West Indies are doing everything possible, including completing a catch despite a collision between the two players who went for the ball without calling it. But Pakistan are on track. Mohammad Hafeez is gone, but Shoaib Malik and Babar Azam are in the middle with Pakistan on 56 for 3 in 10 overs. They need exactly that much more off the second half of the innings to take a 1-0 lead.

DOUBLE STRIKE

Jason Holder has had enough of this 'slow pitch' nonsense. He's gone ahead and done what West Indian fast bowlers do - bowled short and fast, and picked up a wicket. Good ol' Jason! Shehzad had no idea of what came his way, and that showed in what can be best described as evasive action. An outside edge ensued and he had to walk back.

Kamran Akmal let Samuel Badree know who the boss was, early. But Badree hit back with his wicket. RCB folks, are you watching?

Pakistan move along to 40 for 2 in 6 overs, six more than what West Indies had at this stage.

STEADY START

Kamran Akmal and Ahmed Shehzad have started well for Pakistan here. It isn't so much their PSL mode as yet, but hey, it's only the beginning. Task cut out for West Indies bowlers to take the pace of the ball, use variations and pick early wickets. Pakistan 21/0 in 4 overs.

UNDERWHELMING FINISH

Look, Brathwaite isn't just about the sixes. Don't believe that, even if a certain Mr. Bishop wants you to believe so. He's hit some valuable runs here and also taken time out to purely entertain the people watching the game. In the third ball of the last over, Brathwaite thought it'd be fun to switch over and transform completely into a left-hander. Tanvir, the clever fox, bowled short and wide outside the off-stump (for a left-hander) and the attempted sweep could only fetch a run. He finishes with 34 off 27 balls, but the Pakistan players headed towards the exit with high-fives all-round. Brathwaite managed to pull WI out of the quicksand, but the feet are still very dirty for the hosts. They've limped to 111 for 8 in 20 overs.

WICKET AND THE LAST STRAW

Pollard went trying to break the monotony of the ongoing run drought. He hit one down the square leg fielder's throat. Brathwaite soon displayed a shot that was straight out of the book 'Hitting clean sixes for dummies', perhaps written by Brathwaite himself after last March.

He somehow moved his strike rate to 100 and took West Indies to 91 for 7 in 18 overs. How much more can they get?

NO WAY OUT

It's a T20I, Brathwaite and Pollard are in the middle, and the runs just refuse to come by. What a time to be alive! West Indies are in a rut that they just can't get out of. Pollard has 14 off 26 and Brathwaite 11 off 16. It's an alternate universe, perhaps. West Indies have 74 for 6 in 16 overs, and could perhaps struggle to get to the three-figure mark here. That's exciting too, in a very different way. Watch on.

TAKE A BOW, SHADAB!

That's a debut to remember for the young leggie. He finishes with figures of 3 for 7 in 4 overs, each of those runs being singles! West Indies have 60 for 6 in 14 overs and will need Kieron Pollard and Carlos Brathwaite to produce something special here.

"I used to keep watching Shane Warne take wickets on TV and then he retired. So, when I started cricket I decided to become a leg-spinner," he had said when we caught up with him in last year's Under-19 World Cup.

WEST INDIES CRUMBLE....

....Like never before! Hasan Ali has Rovman Powell trapped in front of the stumps. But, would you believe me if I said things could've been worse? Well yes, Pollard survived when Kamran Akmal failed to latch onto a catch a backward point. Could've been wicket #4 for Shadab. West Indies crawl to 51 for 6 in 12 overs.

SHADAB'S HAVING A PARTY

Shadab Khan has a third wicket but you could credit Wahab Riaz for it. The fast bowler treated Sunil Narine like Shane Watson, and unleashed a barrage of short balls to force the left-hander to duck for cover. Narine perhaps saw the spinner as an easy target and attempted an audacious slog sweep. A bottom-edge flew straight to long on fielder. Half the side is back in the pavilion. West Indies 44 for 5 in 10 overs.

UNLUCKY SAMUELS AND A DEBUTANT ON SONG

Samuels will be an unhappy man when he sees the replay of the LBW decision that sent him on his way. He stepped down the track against Imad, and was undone by an arm-ball that was quick and struck him on the pads. Umpire reckoned it was right to raise the finger, but evidence suggested it was going down leg side.

Debutant Shadab Khan's break had more to do with skill than luck. Another LBW call was in question, but this umpire got it right to sent Walton on his way. Two balls later, Lendl Simmons paid the price for bizarrely taking his eyes off a short delivery that he half-heartedly tried to sweep. The ball took out the off-stump and Shadab had two in an over. West Indies 38 for 4 in 8 overs.

WALTON GETS A MOVE ON

Wahab Riaz is a surprised man. And an amused one too. The reason? Well, Kamran Akmal just covered ground and fielded at mid off (no kidding!). The two share a moment. Smiles all around. Almost immediately, Walton decided to remind the world that this game was about his tribe, not the ones with the ball. Hasan Ali can shoulder the blame for that, though. He sends a length ball on the leg side - bread and butter stuff for T20 batsmen. Walton's flick takes the ball over the mid-wicket fence.

Tanvir meanwhile, continued to be the wily cat that he is with the new ball. Cutters, slower bouncers and what not. He's conceded six in his second over. West Indies need a move on, they've 34 for 1 in 6 overs.

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WICKET AND A TRICKY TANVIR

There's an ominous sign for Pakistan! They've pulled off an early fielding spectacle. Ahmed Shehzad sent down a flat direct hit (take note, kids) from deep mid-wicket to catch a greedy Lewis short of his ground while attempting the second run. Marlon 'feet on the table' Samuels walked out, and watched from the other end as Walton punished Wasim's first freebee in the third over.

Sohail Tanvir starts with a slower ball, nearly has Samuels caught behind for 2 and concedes just 2 runs in his first over. What a fantastic T20 bowler, this man. West Indies 20/1 in 4 overs.

Here's Tanvir's T20I numbers for you. Impressive eh?

SPIN TWINS AT THE START

Sarfraz opened the attack with spin twins Imad Wasim and Mohammad Hafeez, looking for an early stranglehold (or cheap wickets, if you will). Chadwick Walton and Ewin Lewis, however, did not take the bait. After struggling to put away 10 deliveries, Hafeez decided to make things easy for Lewis by dropping one short. Result, you ask? A six over deep mid-wicket. You'd still want to call it a sedate start for the hosts, 12/0 in 2 overs.

TOSS - Pakistan opt to bowl

Sarfraz Ahmed won the toss and was quick to ask the home side to put a total on the board. He's probably wary on their ability to chase anything down. There's very little on the wicket for it to entirely influence his decision. The skipper expressed his happiness at the return of Mohammad Hafeez and satisfaction over the preparation in the last couple of days.

Carlos Brathwaite showed that he wasn't too perturbed by the toss. The pitch won't deteriorate he says, perhaps to convey that there's no such thing as a toss advantage here. 1-0 to Brathwaite on the mental games front.

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