MULTAN, 21 November 2006 — West Indies clawed back into contention in the second Test against Pakistan, thanks mainly to a superb spell of fast bowling by young Jerome Taylor (5 for 91) and a steady, unbeaten opening stand of 151 by Chris Gayle and Daren Ganga, here yesterday.
When stumps were drawn for the day, the visitors after having dismissed Pakistan for 357, had replied with 151 for no loss. Gayle was batting at 87 and Ganga was 59. It was their first century opening stand in 20 Tests in Pakistan, their previous highest was 95.
For Pakistan, it was a miserable day both with the bat and the ball. They almost meekly surrendered the slight advantage they had gained by winning the toss and posting 263 for four on the first day, as their remaining six batsmen including skipper Inzamam ul-Huq were literally bundled out by the West Indies seamers for the addition of only 94 runs, just on the stroke of the lunch interval yesterday. And when the visitors batted Pakistan bowlers were bowling all over the place.
The tourists, who are one down in the three Test series after having lost the first Test by nine wickets, now trail by 206 runs with all their first innings wickets in tact.
Inzamam must have felt, badly for sure, the absence of a third pace bowler in his armory on a flat pitch and with the entire batting might of the visitors in tact. His decision to persist with the off-color, out of form Abdul Razzaq had surprised many and now he must be regretting it himself.
When play resumed after lunch Gayle and Ganga batted with solid determination to manage comeback for their team — both treating each ball on its merit and not getting carried away. Surprisingly, the left-handed Jamaican Gayle played quite contrary to his aggressive nature, ensuring that no damage was done in the post-lunch session. At tea the two were together having taken the total to 69.
Gayle hit ten boundaries and a six during his unbeaten innings and practically forced Pakistan bowlers into submission. His knock was a blend of caution and aggression as he cut loose after tea by hitting leg-spinner Kaneria for two successive boundaries to reach his half-century.
He treated Mohammad Hafeez with the same disdain, pulling the off-spinner for a hug six over mid-wicket and then driving two consecutive boundaries to stamp his authority.
Ganga, who played second fiddle to Gayle, reached his eighth Test fifty when he drove paceman Umar Gul for his ninth boundary to add to the home team’s problems.
Earlier Taylor, who took 5-91 — his second five-wicket haul in nine Tests — and Corey Collymore (22-67) posted produced a fine spell of fast bowling to stop Pakistan from piling up a big total. hitting a big score after they resumed at 263-4.
The 22-year-old Jamaican bowled his heart out on a lifeless pitch, which did not offer any help to the bowlers and was amply reward.
The tourists started the second day’s play with the second new ball and got early result, in the third over, when a sharp out-swinger from Taylor was edged off by Inzamam to wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin. Inzamam failed to add to his overnight score of 31.
The West Indies could have snared Shoaib Malik in the next over, but Dwayne Bravo twice dropped the batsman at 14 and then 18, Collymore being the unlucky bowler on both occasions.
Collymore, who bowled unchanged for 15 overs, finally forced an edge off Malik, and this time Bravo made no mistake to hold a superb left-handed catch. Malik hit seven boundaries in his 42. Collymore then dismissed Kamran Akmal (17) with another slip catch to Bravo to leave Pakistan at 333-7.
Taylor returned for his second spell to trap Shahid Nazir leg before for seven but Razzaq and Gul defied the West Indian bowling for 40 minutes. Taylor however dismissed Gul (seven) with another slip catch. Last man Kaneria was run out on the last ball before the lunch interval for nought, leaving Razzaq unbeaten on 16.
