Pakistan have tightened their grip in the second Test against West Indies after posting a commanding total in reply. Chasing the hosts' first innings score of 344, Pakistan piled on 387 runs, with opener Abdullah Shafique playing the standout innings that carried the visitors to a strong position.
Shafique's patient marathon knock
Shafique batted through 323 deliveries to remain unbeaten on 160, an innings laced with 15 fours and 3 sixes. His disciplined approach anchored the Pakistan innings from the start, allowing the team to first match the West Indies total and then push well past it.
A record 49 years in the making
The knock also earned Shafique a piece of history. He became the first Pakistan batter in 49 years to score 150 or more runs in an innings on West Indian soil, making this one of the most significant individual innings by a Pakistan opener in the Caribbean.
Babar Azam falls agonisingly short of a century
Shafique found strong support from captain Babar Azam, who played a fine 88-run innings off 147 balls, hitting 10 fours and a six. Babar was dismissed just short of what would have been a well-deserved century, but his partnership with Shafique gave the Pakistan innings crucial stability.
Sajid Khan's late contribution seals the total
Pakistan's innings wobbled badly after Babar's dismissal, with wickets falling in quick succession. Lower-order batter Sajid Khan then played a valuable 30-run knock that helped Pakistan reach the 387 mark, giving the side a healthy lead over West Indies' first innings total of 344.
