Pakistan beats West Indies to draw series

Wednesday, 25 May 2011 00:10 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Reuters) - Pakistan beat West Indies by 196 runs on the fifth day of the second test Tuesday to draw their two test series 1-1.

Slow left-armer Abdur Rehman finished with figures of 4-65 as West Indies, resuming on 130 for five and needing to bat through the day to win the series, were bowled out for 230 before lunch.

Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal did the damage with the key wickets of Brendan Nash (30), skipper Darren Sammy (41) and Ravi Rampaul (20).

It was always going to be too much for West Indies to bat through the day having already lost their top order but it was a sorry end to their innings when Kemar Roach was run out for 12.

Any chance of resistance dissipated when Nash edged Ajmal to Taufeeq Umar at slip and then Baugh became the latest in a series of West Indies batsmen to fall lbw to Rehman.

Sammy was caught at midwicket off a dreadful shot off Ajmal and although Rampaul showed some defiance, it ultimately proved futile.

Once again West Indies struggled against spin which will give great heart to their upcoming opponents India who begin their tour of the Caribbean next month.

Pakistan, who won the five-match one day international series earlier in the tour 3-2, took full advantage of poor West Indian fielding in their second innnings which saw centuries for Taufeeq Umar and skipper Misbah-ul-Haq.

Misbah was delighted with the way his team, who are still unable to play home tests due to the security situation, coped and performed on the tour.

“I am really proud of this bunch of guys and their fighting spirit. Catching was one of our failings in the first test but we turned it around here and it was the big difference between the two teams,” he said.

“I am happy, I am performing well and it feels good to lead from the front. We hope we will be able to play on our home grounds soon but we are getting exposure outside and becoming a better team in the process,” he said. For West Indies, who have blooded young opening batsmen Lendl Simmons and Kraigg Brathwaite with little success in this test, the debate will restart over selection choices for the India series, with ex-skipper Chris Gayle’s position still unclear.

The optimism generated by the first test victory in Guyana was short-lived and Sammy highlighted a familar problem.

“We have not been able to be consistent with the bat or ball. We have some work to do. India is going to be a tough series but we are looking forward to it,” he said.