Photo: West Indies captain Jason Holder plays a shot through the onside during his inningg of 30 not out in the first innings of the firts Test against Pakistan in the Brighto Paints presents the Q Mobile Cup Series being played at Sabina Park,
Pakistan held the advantage over the West Indies after day one of the first Test in the Brighto Paints presents the Q Mobile Cup Series, being played at Sabina Park, after they reduced the home team to 244/7 at stumps on a day when only 81 overs were possible due to bad light.
The tourists threatened to steamroll the home team when they reduced them to 71 for 5 but two good late order partnerships between Roston Chase and Shane Dowrich and then Jason Holder and Devendra Bishoo helped restore the West Indies innings late in the day.
The historic 50th Test match at Sabina Park, which is also the 50th Test being played between the two teams got going under gloomy skies which suited the Pakistani bowlers. Led by 3 for 28 by Mohammad Amir and 2 for 91 by Yasir Shah, Pakistan took four West Indies wickets in the morning session, as they made light work of the West Indies top order.
Debutant Mohammad Abbas got the early breakthrough when he sent back Kraigg Brathwaite for a duck, caught by Younis Khan at second slip off only his second delivery in Test cricket, with the score at 1/1. Amir then knocked back the off stump of Hetmyer with a ball that swung back late to send the stump cartwheeling at 23/2.
The bowlers continued to dominate the batsmen and Shai Hope was next to return to the pavilion as he hopelessly played down the wrong line and was bowled for 2 by Amir to leave the West Indies teetering at 32/3.
Wahab Riaz then got in on the act when he had Singh caught by Azhar Ali for 9 and the West Indies precariously placed at 53/4.
West Indies showed some signs of recovery and went to lunch at 71/4. But Keiran Powell lasted just two balls after lunch, caught at second slip for 33 as Younis Khan took his second catch of the match and Amir, his third wicket.
At 71/5, Pakistan was in total control of the game but Chase and Dowrich stopped the hemorrhaging, putting on 118 runs for the sixth wicket. It was the first time in the match that Pakistan bowlers found it difficult, as the pair batted sensibly to tea.
The two resumed after tea, and just as they seemed set to take the game away from Pakistan, Shah struck in the 70th over. Riaz pulled off a magical feat, running back to long off to take a spectacular one handed diving catch to send Chase back for 63. Having crossed while the ball was in the air, Dowrich faced the next delivery and had his stumps disturbed, bowled off the inside edge as he was deceived by the spin of Shah.
Captain Jason Holder and Bishoo then steered the West Indies towards a place of safety as they put on a quickfire 50 from 57 balls as the sun threatened to break through the thick clouds.
The heavy clouds did return but the pair batted sensibly until play was halted after 81 overs due to bad light.
Holder will resume on 30 and Bishoo on 23 but will need to hang around for a long time if the West Indies are to get a reasonable first innings total.
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