Windies wilt in decider as Pakistan clinches 7th straight T20I Series
Key Points(5)
- Sparked by fluent half-centuries from openers Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub, Pakistan laid the groundwork for their triumph with a commanding total of 189 for four — the highest of the series — after winning the toss and electing to bat.
- Despite valiant half-centuries from Alick Athanaze and Sherfane Rutherford, the West Indies’ spirited chase fizzled late, ending at 176 for six, as Pakistan’s bowling unit tightened the screws in the final overs.
- <h2>Farhan and Ayub lay the foundation with clinical opening stand</h2> Pakistan’s innings began with measured intent, as Farhan and Ayub paced themselves through the opening exchanges.
- The breakthrough came in the third over when Farhan lofted Akeal Hosein for a six, opening the floodgates of a controlled yet purposeful assault.
- By the end of the Powerplay, Pakistan were a steady 47 without loss, and though the West Indies maintained pressure through the halfway mark — restricting their opponents to 82 for 0 — the real damage was yet to come.
LAUDERHILL, Florida — Pakistan’s dominance in T20 Internationals against the West Indies continued on Sunday as the visitors edged the Caribbean side by 13 runs in the decisive third T20I at Broward County Stadium, sealing a 2-1 series victory and extending their unbeaten bilateral run over the Windies to seven consecutive series since 2013.
Sparked by fluent half-centuries from openers Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub, Pakistan laid the groundwork for their triumph with a commanding total of 189 for four — the highest of the series — after winning the toss and electing to bat.
Despite valiant half-centuries from Alick Athanaze and Sherfane Rutherford, the West Indies’ spirited chase fizzled late, ending at 176 for six, as Pakistan’s bowling unit tightened the screws in the final overs.
Farhan and Ayub lay the foundation with clinical opening stand
Pakistan’s innings began with measured intent, as Farhan and Ayub paced themselves through the opening exchanges. The breakthrough came in the third over when Farhan lofted Akeal Hosein for a six, opening the floodgates of a controlled yet purposeful assault.
By the end of the Powerplay, Pakistan were a steady 47 without loss, and though the West Indies maintained pressure through the halfway mark — restricting their opponents to 82 for 0 — the real damage was yet to come.
Farhan, anchoring the innings with maturity, brought up his half-century from 34 deliveries, while Ayub followed suit in the 13th over with a sequence of brutal strokes off Romario Shepherd. Their 138-run opening stand effectively blunted the West Indies’ bowling ambitions.
Farhan’s stylish 74 off 53 balls — decorated with five sixes and three fours — came to an end in the 17th over, while Ayub’s 66 off 43 was halted shortly after. Still, Khushdil Shah (11 not out) and Faheem Ashraf (10 not out) closed out with a flourish, launching 30 runs in the final two overs to ensure a testing total.
Early fire, then fizzle: West Indies falter in run chase
The Windies reply began with fireworks. Jewel Andrew punished Hasan Ali for three boundaries in the first over, and Athanaze matched the aggression, clobbering Mohammad Nawaz — eventual Player of the Series — for a six and two fours in an over that powered the hosts to 33 without loss in just two overs.
But the momentum was fleeting. The next two overs produced a meager nine runs, and Andrew’s dismissal in the fifth over, caught at long-on off Haris Rauf for 24, signaled the beginning of a slowdown.
Captain Shai Hope and Athanaze added 30 in four overs, but Hope’s departure for 7, slicing Nawaz to deep cover, kept Pakistan in control.
Athanaze soldiered on, reaching a well-earned maiden T20I fifty off 31 balls, before falling for 60 to a mistimed reverse sweep off Ayub. His innings featured eight crisp fours and a towering six.
Rutherford rallies, but finish lacks firepower
With 110 for two on the board, Rutherford and Roston Chase stitched together a solid 39-run stand that took West Indies to 149 for three in the 17th over. But with 41 runs required from the final 18 balls, a tactical gamble saw Chase retire out to make way for power hitters.
It backfired.
Jason Holder was dismissed for a two-ball duck in the 18th over by Sufiyan Muqeem, and with that, the Windies’ chase began to unravel.
Rutherford, showing grit, launched a six over cow corner off Rauf to reach his half-century from 32 balls, but with 25 runs needed off the final over, Pakistan’s bowlers kept their composure to close out the match and the series.
Pakistan's stranglehold continues
The result marked another painful chapter in the West Indies' recent T20I history against Pakistan. The Caribbean side has not won a T20I series against the South Asian powerhouse since 2011, underscoring a 12-year gulf that remains unresolved.
For Pakistan, the win reinforced their strength in the shortest format and spotlighted the rise of new stars in Farhan, Ayub, and Muqeem, while the Windies are left with questions about strategy and composure in crunch moments.
