Pakistan batsmen take first day honours

KINGSTON: After Younis Khan sauntered to his third century from four Tests, Corey Collymore produced a magnificent spell of controlled medium pace bowling to ensure Pakistan didn’t have it all their own way on the opening day of the second Digicel Test against the West Indies at Sabina Park. Pakistan made a dodgy start after electing to bat on a green-tinged pitch, but Younis added 87 with Inzamam-ul-Haq and 117 with Asim Kamal as Pakistan went to tea in complete control. Younis had failed in the first Test after piling up 508 runs in three Tests against India, but freed of the burden of leading the side, produced a typically bustling innings full of punchy drives, gentle deflections and the odd fortuitous edge. When he had made just 47, Devon Smith gave him a life, spilling a sharp chance to his right off Chris Gayle.

Gayle was the ideal foil for the tireless Collymore and had the misfortune of seeing Shahid Afridi dropped off his bowling as well by Shivnarine Chanderpaul at silly mid-on. He did however have the satisfaction of claiming the biggest scalp — Inzamam. Back from a one-game suspension, he edged one to slip in what was a crucial breakthrough for West Indies, who were made to suffer by the fluency of Inzamam’s drives and the contempt with which he pulled short deliveries for four as he raced to 50 from just 60 deliveries. The momentum only shifted after Younis had reached his century, from just 168 balls, as Collymore kept bounding in to bowl a teasing line and length. Both Younis and Kamal departed in quick succession and though Afridi produced another cameo, Colly-more eventually got his reward for beating the flailing outside edge umpteen times.

But for Darrell Hair erroneously calling a no-ball when Tino Best armed with the second new ball, had Kamran Akmal caught behind, Pakistan’s late-afternoon plight could have been considerably worse. Akmal made the most of his good fortune with some glorious drives in the lengthening shadows as Pakistan finished with a bit of a flourish. Collymore’s exhibition was in stark relief to the inadequacy of his compatriots. Daren Powell started well but faded later, while both Best — in the side to replace Fidel Edwards, the destroyer-in-chief in Barbados — and Reon King did little more than facilitate quick and easy run-scoring on a pitch that eased out as the day wore on.

Pakistan’s start had been a mixed bag, with Yasir Hameed cracking two superb square-drives even as Shoaib Malik the other makeshift opener, appeared nervous and unprepared at the other end. Ironically, it was Hameed that departed first, undone by a Powell delivery that tempted a waft. But with Younis coming in and grafting away immediately, 43 came in the first hour. Malik, who was fortunate to escape an inside-edge past the stumps, played one audacious stroke through the covers off Powell, but was otherwise constantly hesitant outside off stump. Two balls after the drinks break, Collymore took advantage with a delivery that pitched in the corridor and took the thinnest of edges. But after Malik’s tortuous 13, Younis and Inzamam made batting appear a far less hazardous task. CRICINFO