(Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail)
Pakistan Beat West Indies by Five Wickets in First ODI at Tarouba
TRINIDAD: Pakistan started their three-match ODI series against the West Indies in style, securing a five-wicket win at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba on Friday.
Mohammad Rizwan and debutant Hasan Nawaz struck crucial half-centuries, while Babar Azam and Hussain Talat provided valuable support to guide the visitors to victory in a 281-run chase.
West Indies Post Competitive 280
Batting first, the hosts reached 280 all out in 49 overs. Evin Lewis top-scored with 60 off 62 balls, hitting five fours and three sixes. Skipper Shai Hope made 55 off 77 deliveries, and Roston Chase contributed 53 off 54. Late fireworks from Gudakesh Motie (31 off 18) helped the home side set a challenging target.
For Pakistan, Shaheen Afridi was the standout bowler with 4-51, while Naseem Shah claimed 3-55. Saim Ayub, Sufiyan Muqeem, and Salman Ali Agha picked up a wicket each.
Pakistan’s Chase Steadies After Early Wobbles
Chasing 281, Pakistan lost Saim Ayub early for just five runs. Abdullah Shafique (29) and Babar Azam put on 47 for the second wicket before Shafique fell at 63-2. Babar then added 55 runs with Rizwan, but was stumped for 47, just short of a half-century.
Rizwan went on to score 53 off 69 balls, his 16th ODI fifty, before falling to Shamar Joseph. At 180-5 in the 38th over, Pakistan still needed composure—and it came from debutant Hasan Nawaz and Hussain Talat.
Match-Winning Partnership
The pair shared an unbeaten 101-run stand for the sixth wicket. Hasan Nawaz scored a superb 63 not out off 54 balls, including four fours and three sixes, while Talat chipped in with an unbeaten 41 off 37. Pakistan reached the target in 48.5 overs to take a 1-0 lead in the series.
Post-Match Reactions
Skipper Rizwan praised the lower-order heroes:
“Hasan Nawaz and Talat deserve all the credit. The conditions weren’t easy, but their partnership was outstanding.”
He also acknowledged areas for improvement:
“We need to fine-tune our bowling. We gave away a few too many runs towards the end.”
The second ODI will be played on Sunday, with Pakistan looking to seal the series.
