TAROUBA: Jayden Seales’ fast bowling and Roston Chase’s steady batting helped West Indies beat Pakistan by five wickets in the second one-day international (ODI) on Tuesday.
The win helped The Windies level the two-match ODI series 1-1.
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Pakistan, put in to bat at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba, Trinidad, struggled to build momentum as rain interruptions and aggressive bowling from the West Indies slowed down scoring.
Early breakthrough by the home fast bowlers removed two top-order batters, and a rain delay reduced the innings under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) methods to 35 overs, setting a revised target for the hosts.
Contributions from the middle order and a lower-order ‘cameo’ pushed Pakistan into the mid-160s before they were dismissed.
Spinners and seamers shared wickets from both sides, but further rains curtailed Pakistan’s late-innings acceleration.
West Indies began their chase poorly, chasing two early wickets to the new-ball attack and spending a prolonged period with a low run rate.
Sherfane Rutherford’s brief spell at the crease revived the chase, with captain Shai Hope help steady the innings. As the required rate fell, West Indies built a decisive late partnership.
Roston Chase found boundaries when they were needed, including two 6s, and finished unbeaten on 49 – just shy of a half-century – as his ball reached the target with ten balls to spare.
Justin Greaves added important runs lower down the order.
Jayden Seales returned figures 3-23. His pace and bounce caused problems for Pakistan’s top order and helped keep their total down after weather interruptions.
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Pakistan captain Muhammad Rizwan said the pitch and shifting conditions made scoring hard and that rain breaks disrupted his team’s rhythm. He added that his side had opportunities to post a bigger total.
The series will be decided in the final match. West Indies will aim to maintain the momentum they showed in this match while Pakistan needs to shore up their top order and adjust to the conditions.
