Pakistan had a vice-like grip on proceedings in the second Test at Abu Dhabi as only six West Indian batsmen separated them from getting a win and taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.
Misbah-ul-Haq made a courageous declaration, giving the West Indian batsmen 152 overs to knock off 456 runs. In reply, West Indies were limping at 171/4 at the end of the fourth day, needing another 285 runs to win.
Resuming the day in a position of command at 114/1, the Pakistan batsmen took an aggressive approach. With West Indies' skipper Jason Holder bringing his fielders in and attacking Azhar Ali (79) and Asad Shafiq (58 not out), the batsmen decided to rotate the strike at regular intervals before looking to score the odd boundary.
Given the way both teams have approached batting in the match, the runs came at a brisk pace. Ali was dismissed after adding 71 for the second wicket with Shafiq. The Pakistan No. 3 soon brought up his second fifty of the match, and the declaration arrived with Pakistan's score 227/2.
There was little assistance for the pacers from the track. While Kraigg Brathwaite (67) led the charge with some confident shots, his teammates were a big letdown, throwing away their wickets with some careless shots. The mercurial Yasir Shah dismissed Leon Johnson and Marlon Samuels. Jermaine Blackwood steadied the ship but Darren Bravo's dismissal left the visitors with a mountain to climb to save the Test.
Brief scores:
Pakistan 452 (Younis Khan 127, Misbah-ul-Haq 96; Shannon Gabriel 5/96) & 227/2 (Azhar Ali 79, Asad Shafiq 58 not out; Miguel Cummins 1/26) lead West Indies 224 (Darren Bravo 43; Yasir Shah 4/86, Rahat Ali 3/45) & 171/4 (Kraigg Brathwaite 62, Jermaine Blackwood 41 not out; Yasir Shah 2/60) 285 runs
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