Justin Greaves and Roston Chase frustrate Pakistan with an unbeaten partnership after the visitors fought back through disciplined spin bowling.
West Indies finished the opening day of the second Test against Pakistan on 239 for 5 in 74 overs, with bad light forcing an early end to play after the hosts recovered from a middle-order collapse through an unbeaten partnership between captain Roston Chase and Justin Greaves.
After winning the toss and opting to bat under overcast conditions, West Indies made a steady start before Pakistan struck back through disciplined bowling. However, Greaves and Chase combined to restore stability, putting the hosts in a strong position heading into Day 2.
Greaves and Chase rebuild the innings
West Indies lost momentum after Pakistan claimed three wickets during the middle session, but Justin Greaves and Roston Chase steadied the innings with an unbroken 66-run partnership.
Earlier, Shai Hope played an important role with a composed knock, adding a 53-run stand with Greaves before being dismissed.
At stumps, both Greaves and Chase remained unbeaten and will aim to convert their starts into substantial scores when play resumes.
Pakistan strike back through spin
Pakistan mounted an impressive fightback after lunch, with their bowlers exploiting the conditions to slow the scoring rate and remove key batters.
Spinner Ali Usman provided the breakthrough by trapping Brandon King leg before wicket for 46, with Pakistan captain Babar Azam overturning the on-field not-out decision through a successful review.
Young fast bowler Ubaid Shah and off-spinner Sajid Khan then picked up crucial wickets to place the West Indies middle order under pressure.
Ali Usman and Sajid Khan carried much of the bowling responsibility, combining to deliver 47 overs during the day.
Hosts make a confident start
West Indies began their innings positively as openers Brandon King and Tagenarine Chanderpaul added 49 runs for the first wicket.
Chanderpaul became the first batter to fall, while Kavem Hodge had only recently arrived at the crease when rain interrupted play for an extended period.
Despite Pakistan’s resurgence after the interval, the hosts rebuilt through sensible batting from Hope, Greaves and Chase.
Day 1 at a glance
West Indies closed the opening day on 239/5 in 74 overs.
Session scores:
• Session 1: 49/1 in 9.5 overs
• Session 2: 116 runs, 3 wickets in 37.1 overs
• Session 3: 74 runs, 1 wicket in 27 overs
Play ended early after the umpires ruled that fading light had made further play unsafe.
Focus turns to Day 2
Speaking after the day’s play, Brandon King said West Indies had prepared well for the conditions and praised the unbeaten partnership between Greaves and Chase.
He expressed confidence that both batters could convert their innings into centuries on Day 2, adding that posting a substantial first-innings total would be vital as the pitch is already offering assistance to the spinners, making batting in the fourth innings likely to become increasingly difficult.