A nerveless, unbeaten 104-run partnership between debutant Hasan Nawaz and the composed Hussain Talat rescued Pakistan from a tense chase, guiding them to a five-wicket win over the West Indies within the first One-Day Worldwide (ODI).
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Chasing 281, Pakistan reached their goal with seven balls to spare, claiming a 1-0 lead within the collection.
The West Indies had earlier posted 280, constructed on three half-centuries, earlier than Pakistan’s bowlers—led by Shaheen Shah Afridi’s 4-51 and Naseem Shah’s 3-55—utilized the squeeze, preserving the hosts to a complete that proved simply inside attain.
Early setbacks within the chase
Pakistan’s reply was something however clean. Star opener Saim Ayub was neutralized early, undone by Jayden Seales’ additional bounce that feathered an edge to the keeper. Babar Azam (47) took time to settle, whereas Abdullah Shafique supplied class earlier than falling to a supply that stored low, prompting Shamar Joseph to name efficiently for a assessment.
When Babar and Mohammad Rizwan (53) mixed, the scoring stalled alarmingly—16 consecutive dot balls at one level pushed the asking price above six runs an over. Step by step, the pair discovered their rhythm, working the gaps and placing boundaries to deliver the equation again into manageable territory.
West Indies bowlers maintain stress on
Opting to stick with tempo, the West Indies bowled only one over of spin within the first 20 overs. When Gudakesh Motie was lastly launched, he struck nearly instantly, deceiving Babar with flip to dismiss him three in need of a half-century. Salman Ali Agha regarded energetic however perished tamely, scooping to Roston Chase.
Rizwan’s wicket grew to become pivotal—he had simply reached fifty when Joseph trapped him in entrance, swinging the momentum sharply again to the hosts.
Nawaz and Talat defy the percentages
With 101 nonetheless required and two comparatively inexperienced males on the crease—Nawaz on debut, Talat in solely his second ODI—the percentages appeared tilted. Nawaz started scratchily, managing simply three runs from his first dozen deliveries and surviving a dropped probability by Shai Hope.
The turning level arrived within the thirty ninth over, as dew made the ball tougher to grip. Talat launched two crisp boundaries off Chase, adopted by a wayward Joseph over that leaked 17 runs, together with 5 wides. From there, Pakistan dictated phrases, every batter discovering boundaries each time the required price ticked upward.
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A dropped sitter at quick thirdman by Motie, with Nawaz on 49, successfully sealed West Indies’ destiny. Talat plundered 15 runs from the subsequent over, and Nawaz calmly accomplished the chase. Nawaz completed unbeaten on 63, Talat on 41 off 37 balls.
Spin stifles West Indies’ center overs
Earlier, Pakistan had inserted the West Indies on a floor of unsure habits. Evin Lewis (60) and Keacy Carty constructed a stable base within the powerplay, however as soon as spin was launched within the eighth over, scoring slowed dramatically.
Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, and Sufiyan Muqim bowled in tandem for lengthy stretches, throttling the run price. Lewis reached his fifty with a flourish, however fell trying to launch Ayub over the infield, with Shaheen finishing an athletic catch. Sherfane Rutherford’s scratchy keep ended when he spooned a easy catch to cowl.
Chase and Hope construct, however Shaheen and Naseem end the job
Roston Chase (53) and Shai Hope (55) steadied the innings with a 64-run partnership, however their methodical strategy noticed the speed slip under 5 per over. As soon as reverse swing got here into play, Pakistan’s quicks had been ruthless. Chase fell to Naseem instantly after elevating his fifty, and the tail was shortly uncovered.
Shaheen and Naseem’s yorkers proved unplayable, three wickets crashing into the bottom of the stumps in fast succession. West Indies had been dismissed with an over unused—an inefficiency that might price them dearly when Nawaz and Talat produced their match-winning stand.
