BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, 27 May 2005 — Pakistan pacer Shabbir Ahmed made a double strike to leave West Indies struggling on 102 for three at lunch on the opening day of the first Test at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados yesterday.
The 29-year-old removed Chris Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan in his opening spell on a pitch which was fresh and had some moisture in it.
Abdul Razzaq picked up the wicket of Devon Smith to leave the home side reeling on 45 for three after they elected to bat.
Former skipper Brian Lara came to the wicket at 25 for 2 and played a punishing innings of 44 from 41 balls with six boundaries to revive the innings.
He had put on 57 runs with skipper Shivnarine Chanderpaul (14 from 44 balls) with 26 overs bowled in the session.
Shabbir, out of action with a knee injury since last September, had Gayle (4) playing a casual drive in the fourth over to short extra cover where Razzaq picked up the catch.
Five overs later he dismissed Sarwan (6) with a beautiful outswinger with debutant Bazid Khan taking a smart low catch at second slip to leave the home side in trouble.
West Indies lost their third wicket when Smith (19) played away from his body and gave a regulation catch to Yasir Hameed at second slip.
Razzaq who had two four wicket hauls in Pakistan’s 3-0 clean sweep of the recent one-day series struck in his first over before Lara and Chanderpaul stemmed the tide.
West Indies lost pacemen Dwayne Bravo and Ian Bradshaw before the match to niggling injuries while Pakistan are without senior batsmen captain Inzamam ul-Haq and Yousuf Youhana.
Inzamam is serving a one-match ban for excessive appealing in India and Youhana will return home to be with his ailing father. Younis Khan is leading Pakistan for the first time in a Test match.
West Indies’ last Test victory was against Bangladesh, in Jamaica last June, and their eight Tests since have brought six defeats and two draws.
