Kingston, Jamaica: Fawad Alam’s fifth Test century and Shaheen Shah Afridi’s new ball potency pushed Pakistan into the ascendancy on a truncated third day of the rain-affected second Test against the West Indies at Sabina Park on Sunday.
Fawad’s unbeaten 124 lifted the tourists to 302 for nine declared in their first innings before Shaheen removed both openers swiftly and Faheem Ashraf added another to have the home side at 39 for three in reply at stumps.
Edged by one wicket in a thrilling finale to the first Test on the same ground a week earlier, Pakistan’s quest for a series-levelling victory has been frustrated by showers and inefficient covering of the playing square.
All of the second day was lost to showers and a sodden outfield while play did not properly get underway on day three until early afternoon as a damp area at the southern end of the pitch, in line with the bowlers’ run-ups, was a source of concern for the West Indies.
Initial attempts to get play going in the morning following another 90-minute delay resulted in just eight deliveries being bowled before the complaints of Jason Holder, supported by his fellow bowlers and captain Kraigg Brathwaite, were eventually heeded by the match officials who engaged in lengthy deliberation before suspending play.
When play finally commenced in the heat of the afternoon, Pakistan, who resumed from the overnight position of 212 for four, were almost entirely reliant on Fawad to push them up to the 300-run mark.
Two wickets for Jayden Seales and two in two balls for Holder kept the tourists in check.
However Fawad, who resumed his innings on 76 after retiring through heat exhaustion and severe cramps on the opening day, would not be denied a fourth Test century in 12 innings.
It was an innings which reinforced the value of his return to the international scene after being ignored for 11 years after his debut in senior Pakistan colors in 2009.
Having returned to the crease at the fall of Faheem’s wicket, and then seeing Mohammad Rizwan and Nauman Ali depart in quick succession, the 35-year-old left-hander stayed focused and reached the cherished landmark with a pull for two off Kyle Mayers.
Despite the disappointment of contributing to the run out of Hasan Ali, his unbeaten 124, which occupied over six hours in which he faced 213 deliveries and stroked 17 fours, was a stellar effort.
“It was very challenging out there and what Babar (Azam) and I did on the first day was very important,” said Fawad at the end of the day in reflecting on his and the team’s effort.
“You always feel proud when you score a century for your country so I am very happy right now. My dad has always been my motivation. He told me to keep on trying and my time will come and now it has and I am trying to make the most of it.”
Kemar Roach and Seales led the West Indies bowling effort with three wickets each.
Shaheen then made the most of his opportunity with the new ball by removing Kieran Powell and Brathwaite in successive overs.
When Faheem bowled Roston Chase it brought in nightwatchman Alzarri Joseph who hung on with Nkrumah Bonner to carry the fight for the West Indies into the fourth day.
West Indies lead the series after winning the first Test by one wicket at the same venue a week earlier.
Fawad century, Shaheen’s strikes give Pakistan hope of levelling series
https://arab.news/zhamy
Fawad century, Shaheen’s strikes give Pakistan hope of levelling series
- Fawad’s unbeaten 124 lifted the tourists to 302 for nine declared in their first innings
- West Indies lead the series after winning the first Test by one wicket at the same venue a week earlier
Rublev marches on, Bublik and Draper fall at Dubai Tennis Championships
- No. 5 seed Andrey Rublev, the 2022 champion, dispatches Ugo Humbert in epic three setter 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-3
- Tallon Griekspoor upsets No. 2 seed Alexander Bublik in straight sets to set-up quarterfinal clash with No. 6 seed Jakub Mensik
DUBAI: Andrey Rublev signaled his determination to reclaim the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships title on Wednesday, as the ruthless Russian dispatched fellow former champion Ugo Humbert in a titanic, three-set tussle on center court.
As a two-time finalist in Dubai and the winner there in 2022, Rublev already has fond memories of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium. Meanwhile Humbert, who has also tasted success in Dubai having edged Alexander Bublik to the title in 2024, was looking to tame a second former winner in the space of 24 hours after eliminating reigning champion Stefanos Tsitsipas on Tuesday.
In the early stages of the match a smattering of vocal young fans stirred up an endless cacophony of noise from all four grandstands as the near-capacity crowd repeatedly serenaded both players with cries of “Let’s go, Andrey” and “Allez, Ugo,” the even split among the supporters mirroring the evenly matched contest.
The nail-biter of a match went with serve for the first six games before, as is so often the case in professional tennis, the seventh proved to be a critical turning point. Rublev took advantage of two break points afforded by a pair of uncharacteristic double-faults by Humbert to achieve what Tsitsipas had failed to do in the entirety of their Round of 32 clash: he broke the Frenchman.
The set then resettled into a familiar pattern as the pair once again held serve amid minimal threats. And so, after 41 minutes of the back-and-forth, Rublev claimed the opening set 6-4 courtesy of that sole break of serve.
The second set mirrored the first, this time with both players avoiding a break of serve, until Humbert, the current world No. 37, narrowly edged the tiebreak 7-5 to even the match.
With very little separating the battling duo at this point, their seesaw duel was akin to two prize fighters exchanging punches with neither able to land a decisive blow. Buoyed no doubt by the feverish support from their respective fans, both players refused to buckle.
But then, with the third set tied at 1-1, Rublev held serve, broke and held again to win three straight games and move 4-1 ahead. The match then, predictably, once again went with serve until it was 5-3.
Then Humbert, facing the prospect of elimination, suddenly found himself with two break points as his opponent wobbled while serving for the match. The steely Russian held his nerve, however, and dispatched a trio of massive serves, including two aces, to reverse the deficit and set up his first match-point.
That was all the 28-year-old needed, as another huge serve forced a Humbert error and sealed the match 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-3.
“It was a very dramatic ending,” Rublev said. “I’m really happy I was able to keep going and save the last game.
“It’s difficult to close a match; you can make a double-fault or a mistake, but I made three good serves and that helped me a lot. It’s much easier to win points from the serve than playing rallies every time.”
He commended his opponent, saying: “Ugo played really well. I took my two break chances but he served unbelievably all match. He shoots super hard and very fast, so it’s not easy to do something. I had to be ready for the one chance to break him in a set, and I got those chances and was able to do it.
“This match gives me a lot of confidence, so we’ll see what will happen in the quarterfinal. I’m playing well, so let’s see.”
Rublev now faces another Frenchmen, Arthur Rinderknech, who emerged victorious from a grueling three-set marathon against the British No. 4 seed, Jack Draper, 7-5, 6-7, 6-4.
Their match, which finished well after midnight and with an eerie mist hovering over center court, yielded only two breaks of serve, both of which went Rinderknech’s way. Despite the defeat, Draper can head home with his head held high as his return to top-level tennis continues after a six-month injury layoff.
On the new court 1, Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands pulled off the biggest upset of the day by taming No. 2 seed Alexander Bublik in straight sets 6-3, 7-5. The win earned the world No. 25 a quarterfinal encounter with No. 6 seed Jakub Mensik of the Czech Republic, who made short work of the Australian, Alexei Popyrin 6-3, 6-2.
