Helped by Misbah-ul-Haq's unbeaten 99 and Yasir Shah's four strikes late in the evening Pakistan won the upper hand with a lead of 28 at Sabina Park on day 4 at stumps. Resuming from their overnight score, Misbah’s partner, Shafiq, went soon, but the Pakistani skipper got an able hand in the aggressive Sarfraz Ahmed.
Although West Indies did climb back into the game in the afternoon, the last wicket stand of 34 frustrated them until Mohammad Abbas was dismissed stranding Misbah on 99, the first Pakistani to suffer the misfortune. Pakistan ended their first innings at 407/10.
West Indies looked settled in their second innings until Yasir was brought on. The leg-spinner reduced them to 93/4 at stumps with the hosts still trailing by 28.
Brief Scores: West Indies 286/10 and 93/4 (Powell 49, Yasir 4/33); Pakistan 407/10 (Misbah 99*, Azam 72, Joseph 3/71).
Take a glance at the major talking points from day 4 at Kingston.
#5 Sarfraz Ahmed takes the pressure off Misbah
Sarfraz Ahmed walked in when Gabriel had Asad Shafiq with a snorter with the score at 236. The wicket-keeper batsman is known for keeping himself busy at the crease by rotating the strike and getting the odd boundaries.
He took on Devendra Bishoo for a four and a six and continued to keep the leggie on his toes throughout his knock. A 70-ball 54 from Sarfraz enabled Misbah to settle into his own rhythm while the scoreboard kept ticking quickly.
#4 West Indies strike their way back into the game
Although the Sarfraz-Misbah stand of 88 put the hosts on the back foot, they were pretty quick to claw their way back into the Test. Bishoo fought back by cleaning up Sarfraz Ahmed from around the wicket and Alzarri Joseph had Amir edging behind soon after.
A terrific inswinging from Joseph disturbed Riaz's woodwork and the substitute fielder, Jermaine Blackwood, ran out Yasir Shah to leave Misbah with the last man. After what looked like a match-defining stand, West Indies deserved credit for coming back into the game with determination.
#3 Misbah-ul-Haq stranded on 99
Misbah-ul-Haq, the champion Pakistani skipper, had lifted Pakistan on day 4 after the early loss of Shafiq. While he looked uncomfortable against Gabriel and Joseph, not once did he flirt with balls wide of off stump and kept Pakistan in the game through sheer grind.
Left with Mohammad Abbas, Misbah forged a 34-run stand that looked enough to get him to a century but unfortunately for him, Abbas fell to Roston Chase with Misbah on 99. The Pakistani batsman had been well and truly stranded but not before he gave a major advantage to his side with a lead of 121.
#2 Kieran Powell once again witness to harakiri at the other end
Kieran Powell had watched his colleagues throw their wickets away to Abbas and Amir in the first innings before he became one of the victims. In the second innings, he had to watch the misery of his teammates playing Yasir Shah from the non-striker's end.
Powell watched as Yasir wrecked through the top order getting rid of Kraigg Brathwaite, Shimron Hetmyer and Shai Hope. The left-hander continued to push himself to a half-century but fell one run short as Yasir Shah had him edging for 49. The West Indian opener has looked solid in his return but starts need to be converted to something bigger before he can be assured of a place in the 11.
#1 Yasir Shah into the party
With the cracks at Sabina Park opening up, Yasir Shah was always bound to come into the picture. Bishoo had generated considerable bounce and turn in Pakistan's innings and this urged Misbah to turn to Yasir sooner and the leggie did not disappoint.
He had Brathwaite bowled off his very first ball, a skidder that the batsman had no clue about. Hetmyer took him on for a six but the very next ball Yasir had him chopping on to his stumps. Four overs later, Shai Hope was undone with a straighter ball that trapped him in front to leave the hosts at 84/3.
The final nail in the coffin was when Yasir dismissed the well settled Kieran Powell, who edged a googly to slips as West Indies slipped to 93/4 at stumps.
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