A nerveless, unbeaten 104-run partnership between debutant Hasan Nawaz and the composed Hussain Talat rescued Pakistan from a tense chase, guiding them to a five-wicket win over the West Indies in the first One-Day International (ODI).
Chasing 281, Pakistan reached their target with seven balls to spare, claiming a 1-0 lead in the series.
The West Indies had earlier posted 280, built on three half-centuries, before Pakistan’s bowlers—led by Shaheen Shah Afridi’s 4-51 and Naseem Shah’s 3-55—applied the squeeze, keeping the hosts to a total that proved just within reach.
Early setbacks in the chase
Pakistan’s reply was anything but smooth. Star opener Saim Ayub was neutralized early, undone by Jayden Seales’ extra bounce that feathered an edge to the keeper. Babar Azam (47) took time to settle, while Abdullah Shafique offered elegance before falling to a delivery that kept low, prompting Shamar Joseph to call successfully for a review.
When Babar and Mohammad Rizwan (53) combined, the scoring stalled alarmingly—16 consecutive dot balls at one point pushed the asking rate above six runs an over. Gradually, the pair found their rhythm, working the gaps and striking boundaries to bring the equation back into manageable territory.
West Indies bowlers keep pressure on
Opting to persist with pace, the West Indies bowled just one over of spin in the first 20 overs. When Gudakesh Motie was finally introduced, he struck almost immediately, deceiving Babar with turn to dismiss him three short of a half-century. Salman Ali Agha looked lively but perished tamely, scooping to Roston Chase.
Rizwan’s wicket became pivotal—he had just reached fifty when Joseph trapped him in front, swinging the momentum sharply back to the hosts.
Nawaz and Talat defy the odds
With 101 still required and two relatively inexperienced men at the crease—Nawaz on debut, Talat in only his second ODI—the odds seemed tilted. Nawaz began scratchily, managing just three runs from his first dozen deliveries and surviving a dropped chance by Shai Hope.
The turning point arrived in the 39th over, as dew made the ball harder to grip. Talat launched two crisp boundaries off Chase, followed by a wayward Joseph over that leaked 17 runs, including five wides. From there, Pakistan dictated terms, each batter finding boundaries whenever the required rate ticked upward.
A dropped sitter at short thirdman by Motie, with Nawaz on 49, effectively sealed West Indies’ fate. Talat plundered 15 runs from the next over, and Nawaz calmly completed the chase. Nawaz finished unbeaten on 63, Talat on 41 off 37 balls.
Spin stifles West Indies’ middle overs
Earlier, Pakistan had inserted the West Indies on a surface of uncertain behavior. Evin Lewis (60) and Keacy Carty built a solid base in the powerplay, but once spin was introduced in the eighth over, scoring slowed dramatically.
Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, and Sufiyan Muqim bowled in tandem for long stretches, throttling the run rate. Lewis reached his fifty with a flourish, but fell attempting to launch Ayub over the infield, with Shaheen completing an athletic catch. Sherfane Rutherford’s scratchy stay ended when he spooned a simple catch to cover.
Chase and Hope build, but Shaheen and Naseem finish the job
Roston Chase (53) and Shai Hope (55) steadied the innings with a 64-run partnership, but their methodical approach saw the rate slip below five per over. Once reverse swing came into play, Pakistan’s quicks were ruthless. Chase fell to Naseem immediately after raising his fifty, and the tail was quickly exposed.
Shaheen and Naseem’s yorkers proved unplayable, three wickets crashing into the base of the stumps in quick succession. West Indies were dismissed with an over unused—an inefficiency that would cost them dearly when Nawaz and Talat produced their match-winning stand.
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