West Indies still needed 17 to win the Sabina Park Test match when No. 11 Jayden Seales joined No. 9 Kemar Roach. From Bridgetown 1987/88 to St John’s 2000 to Dominica 2017, the two teams have lived through these cliffhangers. This time, Roach (30*) and Seales (2*) stayed put and held their nerves as West Indies won one of the greatest Test matches of all time. They now lead the two-match Test series 1-0.
Pakistan began Day 4 on 160/5. Roach provided an early breakthrough, getting Faheem Ashraf for 20. Babar Azam could add only one to his overnight tally before falling to Kyle Mayers on 55.
Hasan Ali offered resistance, hitting two fours and two sixes for his 26-ball 28. But the rest of the tail caved in against Jayden Seales, who became the first West Indian teenage fast bowler to take a five-wicket haul in Test cricket.
But Shaheen Shah Afridi hit back with a triple blow, removing Kraigg Brathwaite, Kieran Powell and Nkrumah Bonner to reduce West Indies to 16/3.
Roston Chase (22) and Jermaine Blackwood (55) then added 68 for the fourth wicket, chipping away over half of the target. Blackwood was lucky to survive an edge in the 21st over: the Pakistan fielders did not appeal.
Blackwood’s dismissal by Hasan Ali opened the game, as West Indies still needed 57 runs to win with no recognised batter to come. A few overs later, Hasan Ali bowled Jason Holder through the gate to reduce the hosts to 114/7.
Brief scores: Pakistan 217 (Fawad Alam 56; Jason Holder 3-26) and 203 (Babar Azam 55; Kemar Roach 5-55) lost to West Indies 253 (Kraigg Brathwaite 97; Shaheen Shah Afridi 4-59) and 168/9 (Jermaine Blackwood 55; Shaheen Shah Afridi 4-50) by 1 wicket. Player of the Match: Jayden Seales