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Cricket
A class act by Shoaib sees West Indies tumble
By Dicky Rutnagur
Shoaib Akhtar
SHARJAH, FEB. 4. The West Indies, who in an era that ended not very long ago, terrified its opponents into submission with the might of its fast bowlers, was given a big dose of its own medicine by Pakistan in the first Test. Shoaib Akhtar, taking five wickets for 24, and Abdur Razzak, who claimed four for 25 in one spell, perpetrated a collapse of dramatic swiftness to give Pakistan victory by 170 runs.
Starting the final day with all its second innings wickets intact, West Indies, following an opening stand of 76 between Daren Ganga and Chris Gayle, took lunch in the comfortable position of 111 for one. In better days, it would have contemplated with relish the prospect of getting the remaining 231 runs it needed to win.
But only ten minutes after the resumption, Shoaib, who had also flung out Ganga's off stump in the morning, initiated an unceasing collapse which ended in Pakistan clinching its win on the dot of tea. Nine wickets had fallen in the space of 22 overs for 56 runs.
The remarkable feature of West Indies' debacle was that for the second time in the match, havoc was wrought by pace bowling, for the pitch was slow. Spinners were expected to do the damage but, as it transpired, neither Saqlain Mushtaq nor Danish Kaneria met with any success. Not only did they go wicketless, but also they did not trouble the batsmen.
For 14 overs in the morning, Ganga, a right-hander of some style, and Gayle batted with absolute composure, applying patience and concentration in the true manner of opening batsmen. The scoring rate got a sudden impetus when Kaneria, who relieved Waqar Younis, bowled a series of half-volleys in his first over and the tall Gayle, using his reach and power, plundered 19 runs.
However, a setback was round the corner. Shoaib, who had bowled six overs without any drop in pace, went round the wicket and the change of angle undermined Ganga, who had his off stump rattled.
Shoaib, who had sought the advice of Michael Holding after the first innings and had tidied up his action, again went round the wicket when he was brought back into the attack after lunch. He bowled a spell of five overs, once more at top speed and took the wickets of Gayle and Wavell Hinds in successive overs.
Gayle made allowance for the ball to come in. But it held its line and hit the off stump. Gayle had made 66, his second half-century of the match, from 118 balls, and hit six fours. Hinds was ambushed by a ball that got up so suddenly and so high that he recoiled from it. But he could not get his gloves out of the way and was caught behind.
Stuart Campbell looked all at sea against both pace and spin and could have been out at any time. But he hung in for 99 minutes and eventually fell to a very dubious run out decision by the third umpire.
The collapse now gained momentum with Razzak taking three wickets in his fourth over. If pace was Shoaib's weapon of destruction, Razzak's was reverse swing. Shivinarine Chanderpaul edged him for a catch to the wicket-keeper and Carl Hooper and Ridley Jacobs were lbw to successive balls, leaving the poor tailenders to face another decisive spell by Shoaib, whom his captain and fellow fast bowler, Waqar Younis, described as a ``class act''.
The scores:
Pakistan - 1st innings: 493
West Indies - 1st innings: 366
Pakistan - 2nd innings: 214 for 6 decl.
West Indies - 2nd innings: D. Ganga b Shoaib 34, C. Gayle b Shoaib 66, S. Campbell (run out) 20, W. Hinds c R. Latif b Shoaib 8, C. Hooper lbw b Razzak 13, S. Chanderpaul c R. Latif b Razzak 0, R. Hinds (not out) 9, R. Jacobs lbw b Razzak 0, M. Dillon b Shoaib 0, C. Cuffy b Shoaib 0, P. Collins b Razzak
12, Extras (b-1 lb-1 nb-7) 9, Total (all out in 62.5 overs) 171.
Fall of wickets: 1-76, 2-115, 3-125, 4- 146, 5-149, 6-150, 7-150, 8-155, 9-155.
Pakistan bowling: Waqar 9-2-35-0, Saqlain 11-5-30-0, Kaneria 19-7-55-0, Shoaib 16-7-24-5, Razzak 7.5-1-25-4.
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