First Test, Day 3: Pakistan leads West Indies by 124 at stumps

An unbeaten half-century by captain Babar Azam helped Pakistan to a 124-run lead over the West Indies with 5 second-innings wickets in hand at stumps Saturday on a rain-affected third day of the primary cricket take a look at.
Trailing by 36 runs on the primary innings, Pakistan reached 160-5 by stumps with Babar 54 not out and Faheem Ashraf on 12.
Two hours play was misplaced on both aspect of the scheduled tea break leaving Azam, who was 28 when the rain started, to bat by way of an prolonged last session.
He constructed a threatening fifth-wicket partnership with Mohammad Rizwan, which was price 56 when it was damaged by Jason Holder with an excellent leg-cutter which had Rizwan caught behind.
Pakistan led by solely 85 runs at that time and the West Indies held the higher hand. But Babar and Faheem batted out the remainder of the day in a affected person partnership which had added 39 by stumps, drawn in gloomy situations with the lights on and spinners working.
Babar’s half-century got here from 117 balls and Faheem confirmed nice utility in going through 79 deliveries for his 12 runs.
But the West Indies allowed an important probability to slide by way of their fingers when Faheem, on 4, was dropped by Jermaine Blackwood at third slip from Kyle Mayers’ bowling. Mayers had simply gone across the wicket when Faheem edged into the slip cordon however Blackwood couldn’t the catch which was low and to his proper.
The Sabina Park pitch remains to be favoring quick bowlers and a lead of greater than 200 may he arduous to chase down.
“On a pitch that is pretty tough I think we are are in good stead in the game, five wickets from bowling them out,” mentioned West Indies paceman Kemar Roach, who completed the day with 2-15 from 15 overs.
“Tomorrow the first hour is very crucial, if we go out there and put the ball in the right place, which we did for the final two sessions. I think we were remarkably consistent and that’s what limited Pakistan on a very tough day for batting.”
Pakistan started the day by rapidly wrapping up the West Indies first innings. The residence group resumed at 251-8 and added solely two extra runs earlier than the innings ended, with each wickets going to Shaheen Afridi.
Pakistan misplaced opener Imran Butt within the third over, with just one run on the board, however was steadied by Azhar Ali (23) who placed on 55 for the second wicket with Abid Ali.
The vacationers stumbled once more when each Abid and Fawad Alam had been each out within the twenty sixth over with the whole 65, a lead of simply 29. Both fell to the younger paceman Jayden Seales.
Abid, on 34, stepped again to chop a sharply-rising ball which took a high edge and flew to Holder at second slip. Fawad lasted solely three balls earlier than a supply from Seales which straightened on off stump caught him in two minds and supplied a catch to wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva.
Seales, who took 3-70 within the first innings, had 2-50 at stumps.