Pakistan Tour of the West Indies - July/August 2021

[CerealKiller]

Imran Butt is our best slip fielder since Younis Khan, but can we afford to play him as a specialist fielder? Don’t think so.

 

[qpeedore]

I didn't actually see the game itself so far, but from looking at the highlights I'll say that the run out from Chase was key.

Also, I think Josh da Silva is moving a lot better behind the stumps than I've seen him. Hope he continues to improve.

 

[CerealKiller]

I didn't actually see the game itself so far, but from looking at the highlights I'll say that the run out from Chase was key.

Yeah, Fawad and Faheem looked comfortable at the crease at that point. Difference between 200 and 300.

 

[qpeedore]

We're already two wickets down though, and the Pakistanis do know how to exploit a pitch. If we're not careful we can find ourselves actually in a deficit. Holder and da Silva, when their time comes, it's going to be a vital partnership.

Holder himself is on a hat trick I believe next time he comes around to bowl.

With rain around but with the pitch playing as it is, this might just be a low score thriller.

 

[ahmedleo414]

Great delivery by Hasan Ali and poor shot by roston chase

 

[CerealKiller]

Great delivery by Hasan Ali and poor shot by roston chase

Brathwaite and Blackwood are solid so far though. Need to break their partnership as soon as possible if we want to prevent a big lead

 

[CerealKiller]

Fantastic one-two punch by Shaheen to get rid of Blackwood and Mayers. Brathwaite and Holder are getting dangerous though. The latter is well set, and Holder can go big if he stays on the crease long enough. Need to break their partnership before tea ideally.
Yasir needs to resemble his old self a little more, or i could see him getting dropped for Nauman.

 

[CerealKiller]

Need Brathwaite's wicket right now. Can’t afford to trail by more than 50.

 

[qpeedore]

A great day of Test cricket. Brathwaite just short of a century, but his 22nd fifty helped us along quite a bit. Holder, as predicted, played such a vital role. With bat, with ball, the guy is our go-to for any match situation.

Kemar Roach is extremely underrated as a batsman. He can either bat time, or as today showed, he can give you a few boundaries and a good 20-ish. If you're a strike bowler and can give your team 20 runs too, you're incredibly valuable. Da Silva now to get the tail to bat around him. He can soak up a hell of a lot of balls, but then suddenly play a glorious shot when he's ready.

That we're in the lead is significant. A lead of even 50-odd will be so much on this pitch. We're batting last, remember that. I don't want us chasing anything over 150 in the final innings.

 

[ahmedleo414]

Pakistan needs a solid opening partnership in order to have any chance of saving this match, otherwise I feel like West Indies have a very good chance of winning.

 

[CerealKiller]

Pakistan needs a solid opening partnership in order to have any chance of saving this match, otherwise I feel like West Indies have a very good chance of winning.

Absolutely, Windies will have a lead of at least 50, we can't afford too much pressure on the middle order.

 

[CerealKiller]

Actually, Azhar's opening stats are massively inflated by the purple patch he had in 2016-17. You take out his 1 innings (302* against a poor West Indies bowling attack in Dubai) and his opening average becomes less than 40.

Babar averages in the mid-20s at #3. Also, it's important to realize that his natural position in Tests isn't really #3, nor does it suit the team combination. In case of an early wicket, he will be forced to come out immediately against the swinging ball. And we all know that he is a nervous starter in Tests and loves to drive the pacers early on. Babar coming out at Pakistan 1 down for 0 after 0.4 overs against any good bowling attack would not fare too well.

Honestly, I'd take Azhar as an opener and Saud Shakeel at 3 right now. Imran Butt over Abid, solely because of his slip catching, in the hope that he finds some form eventually.

 

[ahmedleo414]

I feel like this should be Abids last chance to prove himself, he really needs to play the long game here

 

[CerealKiller]

I feel like this should be Abids last chance to prove himself, he really needs to play the long game here

Double against Zimbabwe might give him some leeway, even though it shouldn't

 

[qpeedore]

I keep forgetting that Jamaica is in a different time zone than the rest of the West Indies. Still, less than an hour to go before play begins. If we can stretch that lead to anything above 50, we're golden. Every run right now is so valuable. Today is perhaps the most important day of the entire match. We need to knock a few back when we come out to bowl, before the deficit is gone. If we can effectively have Pakistan for two or three down by the time they get into the lead, that's ideal.

Roach continues to bowl amazingly well. Searles keeps on showing that he's such a talent. And Holder will just be the silent assassin with the ball in hand. Don't forget Mayers and his medium pace either, or Chase and Warrican with spin.