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PAK VS WI 1st T20I: After a long delay, International cricket returned to Pakistani soil with the West Indies tour of Pakistan. Both teams played the first T20I of the series on Monday, 13th December, at Karachi’s National Stadium.
West Indies won the toss and elected to field. Mohammad Rizwan and Haider Ali’s half-century and a fiery knock from Mohammad Nawaz, in the end, helped Pakistan put a total of 200 runs on the board. West Indies failed to chase this total and lost 63 runs.
The Pakistani team looked similar to the squad that took on Bangladesh in a three-match T20I series. Hasan Ali is the only missing link in the team who has been rested for this series. Pakistan’s ability to dominate the opponent was clearly visible during the 2021 edition of the T20 World, and the same happened in this game.
West Indies is missing a few of the key players, and a young team under the leadership of Nicholas Pooran is trying their luck against mighty Pakistan. Shamarh Brooks and Dominic Drakes made their debut for West Indies.
Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam opened the innings for Pakistan. While Rizwan scored his half-century, Azam’s misery continued in this game. Akeal Hosein picked the wicket of Azam on the fourth ball of the first over, and it silenced the Pakistani crowd for a brief time.
In the fifth over, Shepherd dismissed Fakhar Zaman for ten runs. Pakistan needed a partnership desperately after these two key players walked out of the middle. In the six overs, Pakistan scored 44 runs.
Haider Ali and Rizwan provided much-needed support to Pakistan’s innings. At the end of the 10th over, Pakistan’s score was 75 runs for the loss of two wickets. Rizwan had completed his half-century by then, and Ali had made only ten runs off 12 balls. In the 12th over, Odean Smith leaked 20 runs off, of which 15 came from the bat of Ali. Pakistan’s innings picked up the pace after this over.
On the last delivery of the 15th over, Ali completed his half-century of 28 runs. Shepherd struck again in the 16th over by picking the wicket of Rizwan, who made 78 runs off 52 deliveries. Mohammad Nawaz collected 19 runs from the penultimate over and finished with 30 runs off ten balls.
Shai Hope and Brandon King opened the batting for West Indies. In the second over, Mohammad Nawaz dismissed King for one run. Nicholas Pooran played the kind of cricket that he is famous for. He hit a six off the second ball he faced. In the fourth over, Pooran hit one more six. But his cameo ended in the same over as Mohammad Wasim Jr dismissed him for 18 runs off ten balls.
Wasim picked the wicket of Devon Thomas in his next over. West Indies made 50 runs in the powerplay but lost three crucial wickets. In the 10th over, Shadab Khan dismissed Hope for 31 off 26 and Shamarh Brooks for five runs. West Indies made 60 runs at the end of the 10th over for five wickets.
West Indies made 137 runs in 19 overs and lost the match by 63 runs. Mohammad Wasim Jr picked four wickets in four overs and gave away 40 runs. Shadab Khan finished his bowling spell with three for 17, including a maiden over. The other three bowlers picked one wicket each. Haider Ali, who made 68 runs off 39 balls, won the player of the match award.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Pakistan (200/6) beat West Indies (137) by 63 runs in the 1st T20I
- Pakistan bettered their own world record of the most T20I wins in a calender year
- The second and third T20Is will be played in Karachi on December 14 and 16, respectively
- Haider Ali opened up in the latter half of the innings with a career-best 68 off 39 balls that featured four sixes and six boundaries
- The West Indies folded for 137 in 19 overs as Wasim bowled impressive yorkers to claim his career-best figures, and Shadab Khan grabbed 3-17
- Babar added that the way the West Indies batsmen struggled against the spin of Shadab and Nawaz was an encouragement to pick an extra spinner for the remaining two T20s
Scores:
PAKISTAN 200-6 (20 overs) – Mohammad Rizwan 78, Haider Ali 68, Mohammad Nawaz 30 not out; Romario Shepherd 2-43
WEST INDIES 137 (19 overs) – Shai Hope 31, Odean Smith 24, Rovman Powell 23; Mohammad Wasim 4-40, Shadab Khan 3-17. Pakistan won by 63 runs. Man of the Match: Haider Ali (Pakistan).
