It’s something that’s as Pakistan-esque as it gets. The visitors were saved from having an unsuccessful chase of a below-par target by a pair that was least expected to make headlines. Hussain Talat, who has only ever played a solitary ODI game, that too in 2019, along with the debutant Hasan Nawaz, made up for Pakistan’s early fumbles and got them off to a win in the first ODI.
West Indies missed the chances early on to get rid of Nawaz, who went on to stitch a 104-run partnership with Talat, and similarly, their mishaps throughout the game have them standing at a point where both of the remaining games have become a matter of survival for them. That the last time they were able to defeat Pakistan in a home ODI series was all the way back in 1987-88 doesn’t help their desperate situation one bit. However, if they need something to boost their spirits, they can find it in the fact that they gave the visitors quite the horror in the opening game, something they can build on in the second ODI to keep the series alive.
Team Overview:
The Nawaz-Talat duo did a rescue job for Pakistan pretty efficiently, but the top and early middle-order batters would need to step up in a way that should aid rather than hurt the side. Saim found his way out in just the third over. And while the next three batters, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, and Mohammad Rizwan, were able to put together big runs, they might have exhausted too many balls and too much time to do so. One-day games, unlike T20Is, give the leverage that allows batters to get used to the surface before going full throttle, but not at the cost of skipping the second part altogether. Pakistan might not always find themselves as lucky as they were on Friday.
Despite Pakistan’s bowling attack practically ravaging through West Indies in the death overs and keeping the scoring rate under control with periodic wickets, the hosts didn’t give up on their resistance. That said, they will need something more than mere resistance if they are looking to halt Pakistan. West Indies might have been a touch too confident in their pacers, despite them getting hit for big runs. In their defence, they had only two spinners, which means 20 overs of spin to utilize throughout. Pakistan’s part-timers and all-rounders were able to chip in, which allowed them to see Faheem Ashraf, who had a rough few overs with the ball, out of the attack. A similar strategy could help West Indies keep the scoring rate from surging in this game.
Head-to-Head Matches:
Having won 71 of 137 games, three of which ended in a tie, the hosts have an edge over Pakistan, who have only won 64 games against them. However, Pakistan have clearly dominated West Indies in recent times.
Weather and Pitch Report:
Hoping Tarouba will dish out a surface that allows going over 300 would be foolish. The surface clearly made the batters sweat hard to put runs on the board. With only two games played here till now, it’s difficult to understand the surface too accurately; however, slower balls seemed to have brought plenty of reward in the first game.
It was super humid during the first ODI, and rain seemed to be on its way, at least that’s what the forecast said. However, the game went on without any interruptions. It’s a similar forecast for today as well, with rain likely to pay a visit around noon.
Prediction:
Pakistan will look to wrap up the series with a game to go, and riding high on morale, they might just do it.
Where to Watch:
West Indies: ESPN
Pakistan: Tapmad, Tamasha, A Sports
India: Fancode
UK: TNT Sports 1
USA: ESPN+
