Devendra Bishoo gave one of the greatest bowling performances in West Indies Test history as the visitors eye a come-from-behind victory over Pakistan in the first day/night Test.
The leg-spinner bagged an amazing eight wicket for 49 runs – the fifth best bowling figures in the history of West Indies cricket which lit up the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on the fourth night of the historic pink ball Test.
The West Indies will enter the final day Monday, looking for 251 runs with eight wickets in the hut, as they closed on 95 for two. Openers Kraigg Brathwaite (6) and Leon Johnson (47) both fell to Mohammed Amir.
Leading the fight will be Darren Bravo unbeaten on 26 and Marlon Samuels on four. Johnson took the battle to Pakistan and played freely hitting six boundaries of 81 balls, in adding 60 runs with Bravo for the second wicket. Just before the close he was trapped leg before, which brought Pakistan back into the contest.
Bishoo amazing performance turned the match on its head and completely claned up the Pakistani batsmen. They lost seven wickets for 30 runs to slump to 123 all out – under the spinner’s assault.
The soft spoken assassin cleaned up the Pakistanis with 8-49, after they refused to enforce the follow-on, as the West Indies needing to find 380 runs to prevent that, fell short at 357 all out earlier in the day.
Leg-spinner Yasir Shah claimed 5-121 to humbled the Caribbean men, who resumed on 315 for six. When the two main batters remaining in Shane Dowrich (32) and skipper Jason Holder (20), fell, they innings folded.
With an imposing lead of 222 runs, the Pakistanis would never had catered to the skill of Bishoo. The right armer used the rough outside the left handers off stump, to gain generous grip and turn and clean bowled four men.
The Pakistanis had decided against enforcing the follow-on because they wanted more wear and tear on the pitch, before bowling again. Bishoo showed them that they made the wrong decision.
The West Indies started their job brightly, when Shannon Gabriel trapped first innings triple centurion Azhar Ali for two. Sami Aslam who stroked 90 in the first essay looked good again and scored 44 of 61 balls with four fours to keep the runs flowing.
After Gabriel and Miguel Cummins took enough shine off the ball, Bishoo started his work. He sent back Asad Shafiq for five before the West Indies nemesis Babar Azam came in to stunt them again. He and Aslam took the score to 77 before the right hander was bowled by Bishoo and this opened the floodgates.
The next wicket fell at 93 – which meant that the last seven would have contributed just 30 runs to the effort.
(Taken from windiescricket.com)