The overall team performances of both Pakistan and West Indias suggest that the series should have been won by the Pakistani side by now and the whole focus should have been on Misbah and Younis Khans retirement but the West Indies have levelled the series after crumbling down the whole Pakistani team in under 90 runs on the fifth day of the last match. Now all eyes are not only on the retirement of the legends but also that can Pakistan finally win a Test series in the Caribbean.
Shannon Gabriel ripped through Pakistan on the final day of the last match. Several West Indies batsmen also made contributions under pressure, and they have now won two of their last three Tests against Pakistan.
However, no one knows which West Indies side will turn up at Windsor Park. Pakistan will be well aware of that if they’ve finally recovered from the sucker-punch of what happened on the final day at the Kensington Oval. Mickey Arthur’s side, however, largely dominated the second Test, and were just a cracked pitch and frayed nerves away from taking an unassailable lead. With Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq walking out for a Test for the last time in their careers, that subplot is likely to be seared across the history of this Test for decades. With the spotlight on their contributions, class, and legacy, and the opposition possibly preparing guards of honour when they come out to bat, players with a flair for showmanship might find themselves distracted. Misbah and Younis aren’t such players, but all eyes will be on them nonetheless.
