MULTAN, Pakistan, CMC – Captain Nicholas Pooran and Akeal Hosein excelled in unfamiliar roles but neither could save West Indies from a 53-run defeat in the final One-Day International for yet another whitewash to Pakistan here yesterday.
Hoping to avoid the ignominy of a second straight clean sweep on Pakistani soil following a similar fate last December in Karachi, West Indies managed to restrict Pakistan to 269 for nine in a contest reduced to 48 overs due to a dust storm which halted the hosts’ innings after 33 overs.
Pooran, more known for his attacking stroke-play, twirled his previously unrenowned off-breaks to pick up four for 48 and spearhead his side’s attack while fast bowling all-rounder Keemo Paul claimed two for 57 in his first appearance of the series.
As a consequence of Pooran’s 10-over magic spell – he had previously bowled only three balls in international cricket – Pakistan found themselves floundering at 117 for five in the 25th over but Man-of-the-Match Shadab Khan bailed the innings out with a counter-attacking 86 off 78 deliveries.
West Indies then quickly slumped to 129 for six at the half-way stage of the innings before Hosein arrived to blast an entertaining career-best 37-ball 60 and provide a glimmer of hope.
However, Shadab intervened again, this time with his more favoured leg-spin, snatching four for 62 to send West Indies reeling to 216 all out in the 38th over and condemn them to their third series defeat of the year.
“The [last] two games were disappointing for us. We did poorly, especially with the bat. We take that,” Pooran said.
“Looking at the first game, we thought we did really good as a team and going forward, I think that’s our template.
“There are a lot of positives from this series. We learnt a lot as a team so we’re looking forward.”
Man-of-the-Series Imam-ul-Haq struck 62 off 68 balls at the top of the order to mastermind an opening stand of 85 with Fakhar Zaman who made 35.
Imam-ul-Haq counted seven fours and a six in his third straight half-century of the series and his sixth consecutive score of fifty or more in his last six ODI innings.
Pooran proved an inspired change, however, the right-armer accounting for both openers in a slide that saw five wickets perish for 32 runs.
With the pendulum having swung in West Indies’ favour, Shadab countered for Pakistan, lashing four fours and three sixes to inspire an 84-run, sixth wicket stand with Khushdil Shah (34) and a further 40 for the eighth wicket with Mohammad Wasim (6).
In reply, Kyle Mayers (5) slashed debutant pacer Shahnawaz Dahani low to point in the fourth over to deal West Indies an early blow and fellow opener Shai Hope followed in the 10th over after hitting four fours in 21 off 25 balls, picking out the boundary rider at mid-wicket off fast bowler Hasan Ali (2-29).
With no run added at 52 for three the next over, Shamarh Brooks played on to Wasim for 18 and the subsequent demise of Pooran (11) and Rovman Powell (10) left West Indies with a mountain to climb.
Enter Hosein, the left-hander belted two fours and half-dozen sixes, posting 36 for the sixth wicket with Keacy Carty (33) and 49 for the eighth wicket with Romario Shepherd (16), to temporarily raise hopes of a Windies comeback win.
But once Hosein was deceived in flight and stumped off Shadab in the 35th over, West Indies’ chances disappeared with him.
