Pakistan began their ODI series against West Indies with a steady five-wicket win, chasing down a target of 281 in the 49th over. The standout moment came from two relatively unknown faces in the side. Hasan Nawaz, making his debut and Hussain Talat, playing only his second one-day international, added 104 runs together to carry Pakistan through after a shaky start. Nawaz remained unbeaten on 63 while Talat stayed not out on 41.
Redemption on the Line as Pakistan Recover from Champions Trophy Shock and Windies Battle Losing Streak
This match marked Pakistan’s return to fifty-over cricket after their group stage exit in the Champions Trophy, a tournament they hosted and were expected to perform well in. West Indies also came into this series trying to bounce back after being swept 3-0 by England in their last ODI assignment. Their struggles have continued across other formats too. At home, they lost all five T20 matches against Australia, dropped a T20 series 2-1 to Pakistan, and were beaten 3-0 by Australia again in the test format.
West Indies Post a Decent Score
After being put in to bat, West Indies put up a solid total of 280. Evin Lewis, Shai Hope, and Roston Chase all made half-centuries and gave their side a good platform. However, Pakistan’s bowlers kept things tight, especially in the middle overs. Once the ball got older, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah came back to close things out. Afridi finished with four wickets and Naseem grabbed three, helping bowl out the hosts with one over left in the innings.
A Slow Start for Pakistan
Pakistan’s chase did not begin well. Saim Ayub was dismissed early, caught behind off Jayden Seales. Babar Azam and Abdullah Shafique then took their time to settle in, but the run rate stayed low. Shafique played a few nice shots but was eventually out to a ball that stayed low.
After that, Babar and Mohammad Rizwan found it tough to score freely. At one point, they played out 16 dot balls in a row. The pressure was building, but they slowly began to pick up the pace. Just as things started to look more stable, Babar was stumped after misjudging a turning ball from Gudakesh Motie.
More Trouble in the Middle Order
Salman Ali Agha looked positive but gave away his wicket while trying to scoop a ball that ended up in the hands of Roston Chase. Rizwan reached a patient half-century but fell shortly after when Shamar Joseph trapped him lbw. With half the side gone and over 100 runs still needed, the match had tilted slightly in West Indies’ favour.
Debut Nerves and Comeback Grit as Nawaz and Talat Steer Pakistan to Safety
Hasan Nawaz and Hussain Talat came together with the match hanging in the balance. Nawaz had a nervous start and barely scored in his first few overs at the crease. He also got a life when he edged one to the keeper, but the catch was dropped. Talat looked more composed and helped rotate the strike while Nawaz found his footing.
As dew started to affect the bowlers, West Indies struggled with their control. Talat took the chance to score a couple of clean boundaries off Chase. A loose over from Joseph followed, which included five wides and went for 17 runs. That brought Pakistan back in charge of the chase.
West Indies Lose Control
Nawaz was on 49 when Motie dropped a straightforward chance at short third man. That moment felt like the game slipping away from the West Indies. In the next over, Talat struck a few more boundaries and took full control. A few balls later, Nawaz knocked the winning run and celebrated a memorable debut.
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Spinners Tie Things Up in the Middle
Earlier in the day, West Indies had looked set for a big score after a solid powerplay. But once Pakistan brought on their spinners, the scoring slowed down. Ayub, Agha and Sufiyan Muqim shared most of the overs in the middle and kept things tight. Lewis, after reaching fifty, was caught trying to go big. Rutherford followed soon after.
Hope and Chase then built a steady partnership but never really sped up. Their 64-run stand took 89 balls and allowed Pakistan to stay on top. Once the seamers returned, wickets started to fall again.
Afridi and Naseem Finish Strong
In the last ten overs, Shaheen and Naseem found their rhythm and used reverse swing to great effect. Chase brought up his fifty but got out soon after. The lower order had no answers. Afridi and Naseem kept the stumps in their sights and cleaned up the last few batters. A few runs came through edges and misfields, but the innings wrapped up one over short of the full fifty.
A Solid Win to Start the Series
For Pakistan, this win was a much-needed confidence boost after the Champions Trophy letdown. It was far from a perfect performance, but the calm finishing effort from Hasan Nawaz and Hussain Talat showed that the team has depth and hunger. With the series now at 1-0, Pakistan will look to carry this momentum forward in the next two matches .
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