Off-spinner Sunil Narine regained some “mystery and magic,” as his four- wicket haul stunned Pakistan, allowing the West Indies to level the five match series yesterday at the Providence National Stadium.
Reinforced by a useful half-century by Darren Bravo (54), Narine (4-26) was adjudicated Man-of-the-match for his brilliant display of spin bowling which gave the hosts a much needed win heading into the third ODI.
Guyanese, despite their anger, hurt and disappointment expressed after Sunday’s nightmare loss, still came out and showed support and encouragement for their team who did not let their supporters down.
Pakistan won the toss and elected to field as the West Indies sought vengeance after their first ODI 126-run drubbing, managing to accumulate 232 for 8 in their 50 overs under a sky which started out cloudy but ended up with magnificent sunshine.
Chris Gayle’s woes from the previous game continued to plague him as he was removed in the first over by Mohammad Irfan for one, edging an outswinger to keeper Umar Akmal. Soon after, showers halted proceedings at the stroke of 9:47hrs and lasted until 10:30hrs.
Upon resumption, Johnson Charles and new batsman Darren Bravo played maturely, hitting several fours, while Charles smacked Saeed Ajmal for a big 6 to get things underway in an aggressive manner. The pair brought up the team’s 50 in 10.5 overs.
Shahid Afridi came on in the 16th over and immediately removed Charles as he danced down the track to a ball that spun away and keeper Akmal whipped the bails off in a flash. He departed for a well-played 31 which included 3 fours and a six.
Marlon Samuels came to the crease looking uncertain from the start but knuckled down later in his patient innings of 21 off 69 balls.
His partner Bravo carried on his innings and the two brought up the team’s 100 in 27 overs. Bravo reached his half-century off 72 balls and was struck on the arm by a return throw which seemed to ruffle his feathers a bit.
After he was attended to by the team doctor, Bravo was then bowled by an Ajmal “doosra” as he played for spin but the ball kept straight going through his gate, knocking him out for a solid 54, decorated with six boundaries.
Samuels was soon after bowled by Ajmal as he looked to run an off-stump delivery down to third man, while Lendl Simmons (10) was dismissed off the bowling of Afridi as he looked to utilise the sweep shot, only managing a top edge which skied under the watchful eyes of Akmal who completed a good running catch.
The out-of-form Kieron Pollard came together with his skipper and the two added 70 off 59 balls for the sixth wicket. They began smashing the opposition bowlers around in the last 5 overs. Pollard was then bowled by Asad Ali for an aggressive 30 which yielded two fours and a six off Wahab Riaz.
Darren Sammy (3) and Kemar Roach (0) were both run out by keeper Akmal in quick succession as the West Indies ended their innings, leaving skipper Bravo unbeaten on 43.
Afridi continued his good form with the ball picking up 2 for 29 from his 10, while Ajmal grabbed 2 for 45, along with the fast men Irfan and Ali claiming one wicket each.
In reply the tourists were eventually blown away for 195 in 47.5 overs. In their chase, the opening batsmen Nasir Jamshed and Ahmed Shehzad, started off positively as usual. Jamshed was blessed with “the luck of the Irish” after he was put down when he was on 0, 19, and 32 and benefited from a missed stumping on 45 by West Indies’ Johnson Charles.
After being gifted with the first life on duck after the skipper Bravo failed to hold on to a catch at second slip, off the bowling of fast bowler, Jason Holder, Jamshed too opened up, smashing the West Indies bowlers for sixes over mid-wicket. Shehzad (19) was the first to go after a faint edge, a result of not moving his feet, which carried into the gloves of Charles.
Mohammed Hafeez then showed signs of form in his 25 ball 20 which included 3 fours, but skied a Narine delivery straight down the throat of long off fielder Simmons.
The skipper, Misbah ul-Haq came in and opened his account with a 6. He and Jamshed brought up the team’s hundred in the 27th over. After looking rock solid, Misbah threw his wicket away when he misjudged a ball from Sammy departing on 17.
Asad Shafiq’s poor run continued. He slapped Samuels to Holder in the covers for 10. Jamshed who was earlier given a quartet of lives, brought up his 50 off 85 balls in the 34th over, but was then dismissed trying to go over the top and caught by Roach off Pollard’ s first over for a scratchy 54.
Afridi came to the crease and looked totally out of sorts and was eventually stumped by Charles off Narine for 5.
Wahab Riaz (3) and Ajmal (1) departed in quick time as the West Indies tore into the tourists’ lower order.
Young keeper Akmal brought up a fighting half century off 45 balls with five fours and a six but soon departed caught by Samuels off the skipper Bravo’s bowling, while Irfan smashed one to Pollard out in the deep. Narine’s spell of 10 overs, one maiden, 4 for 26, was reinforced by Bravo’s two wickets and one scalp apiece for Roach, Sammy, Samuels and Pollard.
At the post match interview, Bravo and Narine briefly answered questions from media personnel on their matches in Guyana. Narine told reporters that “bowling out there was tough and he didn’t think he can do any worse than he did.” He also spoke about backing himself against Afridi, deploying the “you hit me for six or get out tactics.”
Captain Bravo noted as he thanked his team for the support that he is still a young captain and has the support and teaching from other ex-captains in the squad such as Chris Gayle and Darren Sammy.
Bravo also thanked the Guyanese people for their support and acknowledged that the fans were hurt by their initial performance, but still came out and showed their support for a West Indies team that did not include any of their countrymen. He hopes to take the momentum into the next few matches in St Lucia.
The third ODI is set for July 19 at the Beausejour Stadium, in St Lucia.
