Cricket

West Indies v Pakistan, 2nd Test, Bridgetown, 1st dayApril 30, 2017

Chase and Powell work past early blows

THE REPORT BY DANYAL RASOOL

West Indies 72 for 3 (Powell 29*, Chase 23*) v Pakistan
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Mohammad Amir cleverly worked over Kraigg Brathwaite © AFP

The sun may have been blazing down, but that didn't mean the rules of Test cricket would suddenly cease to apply. West Indies found out in the first session at Bridgetown, tottering to 72 for 3 at lunch.

A bowler whose seam is as upright and line as consistent as Mohammad Amir's will continue to threaten batsmen in any conditions, as Kraigg Brathwaite will tell you. A batsman who hangs his bat outside off stump carelessly always risks edging to slip - as Shimron Hetmyer discovered - no matter how dry the wicket.

This was far from the Kensington Oval surface of old, but Pakistan's opening pair of Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Abbas still rolled back the years in a probing opening spell to leave the West Indies openers looking distinctly uncomfortable.

The wicket of Brathwaite had a sense of inevitability to it, the right-hander edging an Amir delivery that held its line. When Hetmyer fell flashing at a ball outside off stump, the lack of experience told. While the pacers were having such a productive time, it was slightly surprising to see spin introduced as early as the eleventh over, but with Pakistan playing only two seamers, it wasn't surprising.

There was sharp turn on offer for Yasir Shah, hardly a ringing endorsement of the wicket, what with this being the first morning of the Test. But with the under-fire Shai Hope having gone into his shell, Yasir pitched one on a length around middle stump. Hope failed to get on the front foot in time, and the ball took the edge through to Sarfraz Ahmed as West Indies slumped to 37 for 3.

Kieran Powell, who had survived the morning session on the first day in Kingston as wickets tumbled around him, hung on admirably again, looking by far the most assured batsman. He was positive against spin, particularly Yasir, regularly using his feet to get to the pitch of the ball and hit over the top. With the wicket this conducive to spin, Shadab was called on to join Yasir into the attack before lunch.

With Shadab and Yasir operating in tandem shortly before lunch, the game carried a day-five feel, and with West Indies aware of the quality of Pakistan's spinners, the decision to prepare such a pitch seemed particularly inexplicable. Unless Powell and Roston Chase, who have so far combined to add 35, put up a score to bring their tweakers into play on a wearing surface.