MULTAN: If the opening game was close, this one was done and dusted as soon as Mohammad Nawaz put the West Indies under a spell with his spin.

Nawaz ripped the heart out of the tourists’ batting line-up at the Multan Cricket Stadium as Pakistan cruised to a 120-run victory in the second One-day International on Friday that gave the hosts an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-game series.

It was Nawaz’s six in the final over that took Pakistan past the line in the first ODI for Pakistan on Wednesday and this time the all-rounder did it with the ball, picking up 4-19 as West Indies folded for 155 in their pursuit of 276.

Half-centuries by skipper Babar Azam and Imam-ul-Haq had seen Pakistan post 275-8 after winning the toss on another sweltering day but despite a rollicking start to their chase, the West Indies lost their way once Nawaz came into the attack.

After speedster Shaheen Shah Afridi removed Shai Hope — who made a century in the first ODI — for four on the final delivery of the opening over, opener Kyle Mayers (33) and Shamarh Brooks (42) took the attack to Pakistan, adding 67 in quick time.

Mayers lifted both Shaheen and Haris Rauf for sixes but he departed on the last delivery of the 10th over when his stumps were undone by Mohammad Wasim Jr.

The stage was then set for Nawaz to take over.

Brandon King lasted just two deliveries before Nawaz’s flighted delivery fizzed past him and onto the top his off-stump.

Brooks added 30 runs with his skipper Nicholas Pooran (25) before he became Nawaz’s second victim; missing a sweep to be caught leg-before.

The incoming Rovman Powell (10) heaved Shadab Khan for a huge six but he didn’t last long as he was caught behind by wicket-keeper Mohammad Rizwan off Nawaz.

Two balls later, Nawaz all but ended West Indies’ hopes. Hoping the ball would turn, Pooran offered a stroke but the delivery was dead straight and clattered into his stumps.

It was then a question of how quickly Pakistan would wrap up the proceedings.

Romario Shepherd fell lbw to Shadab in the next over but Akeal Hosein and Alzarri Joseph defied Pakistan for nearly seven overs until the latter was rapped on the pads by Wasim in front of the wickets.

Shadab then removed Hayden Walsh before Anderson Phillip’s stumps were shattered by Wasim on the second ball of the 33rd over.

Earlier, Babar missed out on a fourth consecutive ODI hundred, falling 23 runs short in his bid to equal former Sri Lankan batter Kumar Sangakkara’s record.

Sangakkara had achieved that feat in the 2015 World Cup and Babar looked set to match him until he gave spinner Hosein a return catch in the 36th over.

Babar, who hit five fours and a six in his 93-ball innings, had added 120 runs with opener Imam, who had six hits to the fence, after Fakhar Zaman’s early dismissal for 17.

Imam was run out by Pooran while attempting to steal a single and after Babar fell with the score on 187, Pakistan lost their next three wickets while adding just 20 runs.

In his first international innings, Mohammad Haris faced just five deliveries before edging Joseph to wicket-keeper Hope before Rizwan (15) was cleaned up by Hosein (3-52) as he failed to connect while attempting to sweep.

Shadab (22) lifted Hosein for a six, which was followed by a fan running onto the pitch after evading security, but it was the left-arm spinner who was jumping in celebration again moments later when Nawaz found Pooran at leg-slip.

Shadab was the next to go, caught behind off the impressive Joseph (2-33) with West Indies’ disciplined bowling causing Pakistan problems.

Khushdil Shah’s big-hitting heroics were instrumental in Pakistan’s victory in the opening match but this time he could only manage two fours in a 31-ball 22 before Philip, playing just his fourth ODI, had him clean bowled in the penultimate over.

It saw Philip (2-50), who had taken just two wickets in his previous three matches, double his overall tally having earlier also accounted for Fakhar.

Wasim (17 not out) had hit Philip for a towering six on the first delivery of the 49th but it was Shaheen who finished Pakistan’s innings off with a flourish, pulling away Shepherd for three fours in the last over to take Pakistan to a total that proved well beyond the West Indies.

Scoreboard

PAKISTAN:

Fakhar Zaman c Shepherd b Phillip 17

Imam ul-Haq run out Pooran 72

Babar Azam c&b Hosein 77

Mohammad Rizwan b Hosein 15

Muhammad Haris c Hope b Joseph 6

Mohammad Nawaz c Pooran b Hosein 3

Shadab Khan c Hope b Joseph 22

Khushdil Shah b Phillip 22

Muhammad Wasim not out 17

Shaheen Afridi not out 15

EXTRAS (LB-3, W-6) 9

TOTAL (for eight wkts, 50 overs) 275

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-25 (Fakhar), 2-145 (Imam), 3-187 (Babar), 4-194 (Haris), 5-194 (Rizwan), 6-207 (Nawaz), 7-230 (Shadab), 8-259 (Khushdil)

DID NOT BAT: Haris Rauf

BOWLING: Joseph 10-1-33-2 (2w), Mayers 3-0-24-0 (1w), Phillip 8-0-50-2 (1w) Shepherd 5-1-27-0, Powell 4-0-24-0, Walsh 10-0-62-0, (1w), Hosein 10-0-52-3 (1w)

WEST INDIES:

S. Hope c Fakhar b Shaheen 4

Kyle Mayers b Wasim 33

Shamarh Brooks lbw Nawaz 42

Brandon King b Nawaz 0

Nicholas Pooran b Nawaz 25

Rovman Powell c Rizwan b Nawaz 10

Akeal Hosein not out 14

Romario Shepherd lbw Shadab 1

Alzarri Joseph lbw Wasim 6

Hayden Walsh lbw Shadab 1

Anderson Phillip b Wasim 1

EXTRAS (B-4, LB-6, W-3) 18

TOTAL (all out, 32.2 overs) 155

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-4 (Hope), 2-71 (Mayers), 3-72 (King), 4-102 (Brooks), 5-116 (Powell), 6-117 (Pooran), 7-120 (Shepherd), 8-145 (Joseph), 9-148 (Walsh), 10-155 (Phillip)

BOWLING: Shaheen 4-1-17-1 (1w) Haris 5-1-30-0, Wasim 4.2-0-34-3 (1w), Nawaz 10-0-19-4 (1w) Shadab 9-1-40-2

Published in Dawn, June 11th, 2022