The West Indies look destined for their eighth-straight defeat on a disastrous tour of the United Arab Emirates, as Pakistan look to finish the Test series off with a match to play. Join The Roar for live scores of Day 5 from 5pm (AEDT).
The West Indies had huge losses in both the T20 and ODI series, losing all three matches in both and never coming close.
In fact, the closest they have been was the in first Test, but even that was a recovery effort to make Pakistan a little nervous on the final day’s play under lights.
This second Test, though, has been a return to disaster for the men from the Carribean, with Pakistan putting in a clinical performance to enter the final day’s play in a position where they should find it impossible to lose.
The West Indies haven’t bowled well, with first Test hero Devendra Bishoo struggling big time, and as a result, they haven’t even looked close with their batting not able to stand up in the slightest.
As they did in the first Test, Pakistan made an exceptionally strong start on the back of experienced duo Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq, recovering from 2 for 42 to eventually reach 452 in their first innings.
In reply, the tourists never came close and for the second straight match, finished more than 200 runs behind, giving Pakistan the option to enforce the follow on after Yasir Shah showed everyone how to do it, taking four wickets.
The follow on once again wasn’t enforced by Pakistan and they set about building an insurmountable total, eventually declaring on 2 for 227 with all of Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali and Sami Aslam going past 50.
That set the West Indies a massive 456 to win and with Shah once again leading the way, the tourists made their way to a very shaky 4 for 171 by stumps.
For the West Indies to get over the line, they will need to bat all day, and even then the 285 runs they need to score could be a bridge too far. If they are to bat all day it’s going to have to start with not out batsmen Jermaine Blackwood and Roston Chase.
Shai Hope and Jason Holder are the next two in for the tourists, and there is very little to come after that.
Day 5 Prediction
Pakistan surely can’t lose it from here. Even a big partnership would leave the West Indies in a perilous position.
More likely is that the Windies will fold, as they looked likely to do at different points yesterday afternoon and the match will be all over by lunch with Yasir Shah wreaking havoc.
Pakistan in a canter.
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