 West Indies will play Pakistan in Basseterre in St. Kitts for the second
Test match. The game will begin from May 20 and will see the West Indies
go into the series leading it 1-0, which means that they cannot lose the series.
Pakistan will know that they will need to play much better than what they have
in the first Test match to have a chance of saving the series.
It was a surprising batting performance from the Pakistani side in the previous
game. They struggled to get going despite the existence of only one spinner in
the West Indian ranks and that meant that the West Indian bowlers could pile up
the pressure on the Pakistanis.
Click for Live Score Card of Pakistan Vs West Indies
The top order capitulated totally and that hardly helped matters. Despite Misbah ul Haq and Asad Shafiq playing a good rear work, the target on that pitch
was almost difficult to get once the side had lost three wickets for next to
nothing.
Impressively for the West Indian side, there were wickets picked up by different
bowlers at different times. For one, there was that of Devendra Bishoo, who
took four in the first innings. Ravi Rampaul provided the early breakthroughs
and ended with four in the second and then there was Darren Sammy, who
had been criticised so much in the leadup to the game that it was only normal
to expect him to come back strongly with his five-wicket haul in the second
innings.
The West Indian batting did not do too well, but then, on a track which had so
much for the bowlers, it was only to be expected. That they were prepared to grit
it out there was a testimony to the way in which the matters petered out.
For this second game, the West Indies side may not want to change things around
too much. Kemar Roach probably needs a lot of overs under his belt which will
help him get more wickets and hence, more confidence, whereas the Pakistani will
need to change things around. Unfortunately for them, the bowling did a good job
for them, but not the batting. This will mean that they will need to hunt for
batting in their side that will allow them to get a move on - unfortunately they
do not ave too many in the reserves to be able to do so.
|
