Misbah, Shehzad lead Pakistan to series-clinching win

[Mirza Ghalib]

Misbah, Shehzad lead Pakistan to series-clinching win

Agencies

Misbah scored 63 runs off 93 balls.
2013-07-25

GROS ISLET: Captain Misbah-ul-Haq led Pakistan to a four-wicket victory over West Indies with yet another calm and composed half century in the fifth and final one-day international to clinch the series 3-1.

Man of the match and series, Misbah, hit 63 off 93 balls for his fourth half century of the series, and opening batsman Ahmed Shehzad scored a valuable 64 to guide Pakistan to 243-6 after West Indies made 242-7.

The Pakistan captain featured in two productive partnerships by adding 66 runs with Umar Akmal (33) for the fifth wicket stand after steadying the innings with 59-run partnership with Shehzad.

Misbah said it was tough to bowl first but his side was confident of successfully chasing the target.

"Everybody bowled really well, which was the key in this win. Always tough to bowl first, especially in pressure games like this, but everybody was really positive, that we were going to chase well," he said.

West Indies, after being put into bat, was indebted to captain Dwayne Bravo for a rapid 48 with Marlon Samuels (45) and opening batsman Johnson Charles (43) also making useful contributions.

A late assault by Dwayne Bravo sparked life into a lethargic West Indies effort. Under pressure to deliver for a team seeking victory to square the series, the captain smashed 48 off just 27 deliveries with five fours and three sixes, dominating a 53-run seventh-wicket partnership with former skipper Darren Sammy, who belted his way to an unbeaten 29 off 18 balls.

Pakistan, assured of maintaining their unbeaten run in ODI series in the Caribbean since 1988, were in control through most of the innings via tight, disciplined bowling, pacers Junaid Khan (3 for 48) and Mohammad Irfan (2 for 34) leading the effort until Bravo cut loose.

Such was the transformation that after crawling to 159 for five in the 42nd over, 83 runs were hammered off the remaining 58 balls to at least give the West Indies a fighting chance of restricting the Pakistani batsmen in conditions that appear tailormade for batting on a hot, steamy afternoon.

Samuels 45 and Charles 43 held the home side's innings together, although at a considerably slower pace, before the arrival of the cavalier captain.

Both fought to dominate the admirable Pakistan bowling effort and perished when seeking to press on the accelerator.

In stark contrast, the usually destructive Chris Gayle was again a mere shadow of his plundering best, labouring to 21 off 34 balls batting for the second consecutive match in the unusual position of number in the order.

His replacement at the top, Devon Smith, failed yet again, falling victim to an aggressive Junaid, who followed up with the wicket of Darren Bravo to have the West Indies faltering in the early exchanges.

Saeed Ajmal removed Dwayne Bravo and Lendl Simmons in the final rush for runs and, unusually for the wily spinner, conceded 57 runs off his 10 overs.

Scores:

West Indies 242 for seven off 50 overs (Dwayne Bravo 48; Junaid Khan 3-48); Pakistan 243 for six off 49.5 overs (Ahmed Shehzad 64, Misbah-ul-Haq 63; Tino Best 3-48).

Squads:

West Indies: Devon Smith, Johnson Charles (wk), Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Chris Gayle, Lendl Simmons, Dwayne Bravo (capt), Darren Sammy, Sunil Narine, Tino Best, Jason Holder

Pakistan: Nasir Jamshed, Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Misbah-ul-Haq (capt),Haris Sohail, Umar Akmal (wk), Shahid Afridi, Asad Ali, Junaid Khan, Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Irfan

[Mirza Ghalib]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mgx5bk93Wzc