West Indies were 184 for eight at the close, replying to Pakistan’s first innings total of 272, on the second day of the second Test on Saturday at Warner Park.
Ahmed completed a maiden half-century and frustrated West Indies with Saeed Ajmal for close to two hours, as Pakistan were dismissed for 272 shortly before lunch on the second day.
Tanvir led a late recovery for the Pakistanis with 57 and Ajmal was not out on 23, establishing a new ground record of 78 for the last wicket on the second day of the Test at Warner Park. The visitors’ tail-enders defied the West Indies decision to take the second new ball, mixing occasional strokes of adventure with resolute batting, after their side slumped to 194 for nine inside the first hour. Tanvir reached his 50 from 93 balls, when he edged a delivery outside the off-stump from Ravi Rampaul wide of slip, and into the third-man boundary for his ninth four.
But he was dismissed, when he played back and across to a leg-break from Devendra Bishoo, and was adjudged lbw, a decision he unsuccessfully had reviewed. He had served early notice, when he rocked onto the back-foot, and pulled a short delivery from Bishoo over mid-wicket for his first boundary, a similar shot he executed a few overs later off Rampaul for this third four. Ajmal joined the fun, when he top-edged a hook from Kemar Roach to the fine-leg boundary for his first four, and upper cut another short, rising delivery from Rampaul over the third-man boundary for six. Tanvir lofted Bishoo over mid-wicket for his fifth boundary to raise the 50 partnership with Ajmal before the leg-spinner brought the innings to a close a few overs later.
When play opened half-hour earlier than scheduled to compensate for time lost on the previous day due to poor weather, Pakistan ran into early trouble, after beginning the day on 180 for six. They lost Abdur Rehman caught behind off West Indies captain Darren Sammy for three, playing defensively forward, and edging a delivery angled across him in the third over of the morning. In the next over, Mohammad Salman was caught at mid-on for 13, hitting across a well-pitched leg-break.
Wahab Riaz was dropped on nought by wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh Jr off Roach, but failed to make use of the chance, when the West Indies pair got it right four deliveries later. The Pakistani fast bowler failed to score, but Tanvir and Ajmal added substance to the innings. The visitors trail 0-1 in the two-Test series, following a 40-run defeat inside four days in the first Test, which ended last Sunday at the Guyana National Stadium, crushing their dreams of a maiden Test series victory in the Caribbean.
Brief scores: Pakistan 272 (Azhar Ali 67, Tanvir Ahmed 57, Umar Akmal 56, Misbah-ul-Haq 25, Saeed Ajmal 23 not out; Ravi Rampaul 3-68, Devendra Bishoo 3-80, Darren Sammy 2-70)
West Indies 184 for eight (Marlon Samuels 57, Darren Bravo 24, Ramnaresh Sarwan 20, Mohammad Hafeez 2-16, Abdur Rehman 2-46, Saeed Ajmal 2-49)
