MULTAN: Kevin Sinclair led a West Indian spin trio to give the tourists a sniff of a series-levelling win in the second Test Sunday with Pakistan on the ropes at 76-4 after day two in Multan.
Skipper Kraigg Brathwaite hit a half-century as the West Indies scored 244 in their second innings to set the hosts a daunting 254-run target on a spinning Multan Stadium pitch.
At stumps Saud Shakeel was unbeaten on 13 and nightwatchman Kashif Ali on one. The West Indies need only six more wickets to draw the series 1-1.
Pakistan need 178 runs for victory. They won the first Test by 127 runs, also in Multan.
Sinclair (2-41) opened the floodgates by trapping Pakistan skipper Shan Masood leg before for two and then had the prized wicket of Babar Azam caught for a dour 31.
West Indies earn slender lead over Pakistan after Noman Ali hat trick
Azam had added 43 with Kamran Ghulam, who was dropped twice, on two and six, but the lapses did not prove costly to the West Indies.
Gudakesh Motie had Muhammad Hurraira for two and Jomel Warrican dismissed Ghulam for 19.
The day saw 14 wickets fall, after 20 on day one.
“Our captain set the stage and infused confidence in the batters to follow,” Warrican said of Brathwaite.
“We have the confidence to pull off this victory, which would be a big win in these challenging conditions.”
Pakistan still believe.
“There is nothing impossible in this game,” said spinner Sajid Khan.
“Shakeel has batted well on such pitches and then we have other batters also, so if we have that belief then we can score the required runs.”
In the morning opener Brathwaite led the fight for the visitors with a gritty 52.
The last four wickets added an invaluable 99 runs before the tourists were dismissed for 244 in their second innings at tea.
Left-arm spinner Noman Ali finished with 4-80 – 10 wickets in the match – while partner Sajid took 4-76, six in the match.
The West Indies were 129-5 at lunch when Noman dismissed Alick Athanaze for six, before the visitors put up a fight that could prove decisive.
Tevin Imlach scored 35 and Sinclair 28 to boost their team’s lead during a stubborn stand of 51 for the seventh wicket, before Sajid accounted for Sinclair and Motie for 18.
Pacer Kashif had Imlach but the last pair of Warrican and Kemar Roach took the total past 240, before Sajid had Warrican caught for 18.
Earlier, Brathwaite led the way with two sixes and four boundaries in his 31st Test half-century.
Noman broke a solid 50-run opening stand by dismissing Mikyle Louis for seven after the tourists started their second innings in the morning.
Brathwaite overturned two leg-before decisions against him before he was stumped by Mohammad Rizwan off Noman.
Debutant Amir Jangoo also batted well for his 30 with three boundaries, before Sajid had him caught in the slips by Salman Agha.
Kavem Hodge was stumped by Rizwan off Noman for 15 as the West Indies slumped from 92-1 to 129-5.
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