MULTAN, Nov 20: Brian Lara’s West Indies clearly took the second day honours here on Monday through some splendid seam-bowling and resolute batting to bounce back in this second Test against Pakistan at the Multan Cricket Stadium.

Spearheaded by Jerome Taylor and Corey Collymore, the West Indies fought back magnificently to take six Pakistan wickets for just 94 runs in the two-and-a-half hour morning session as the hosts were dismissed for 357 in their first innings after resuming the second day at 263 for four.

The tourists then consolidated their position through their finest first-wicket stand on Pakistan soil to reach 151 for no loss in 57 overs by the close of play with Chris Gayle batting on a blazing 87 and Daren Ganga unbeaten on a solidly compiled 59. The West Indies, 1-0 down in the three-match series, are now 206 runs in arrears with all their wickets standing.

There was nothing in the pitch to explain Pakistan’s inexplicable collapse in the morning since the conditions favoured the batsmen. But the West Indies have to be commended for sticking to the basics once they took the second new ball just before the play got underway on Monday.

Both Taylor, who bagged his second five-wicket haul in nine Tests, and Collymore bowled in areas just around the off-stump, a ploy that paid off handsomely as Pakistan lost its wickets at regular intervals.

Taylor, the 22-year-old Jamaican fast bowler, scalped Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq in the day’s third over to set the tone before picking up tailenders Shahid Nazir and Umar Gul to finish with five for 91 in 26 overs.

But it was Collymore’s probing spell from Main Pavilion End, during which he bowled 15 overs on the trot, that raised West Indian spirits while Pakistan failed to capitalise on their first day’s efforts when Imran Farhat (74), Younis Khan (56) and Mohammad Yousuf (56) laid the foundation for a big total.

The Barbadian paceman was deservingly rewarded for his metronomic accuracy when he sent Shoaib Malik (42 off 62 balls, seven fours) and Kamran Akmal to the pavilion. Both his victims were taken in the slips by Dwayne Bravo.

Bravo’s catching was simply spectacular as he took a left-handed blinder to dismiss Shoaib while diving backwards at third slip.

Inzamam, aptly acclaimed in his hometown as the Sultan of Multan, didn’t add to his overnight tally of 31 and fell to a beauty from Taylor. The ball moved away from good-length to square-up the Pakistan captain, inducing a healthy nick to wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin.

Shoaib Malik and Abdul Razzaq then added a quickfire 46 before Shoaib departed for a well-played 42. Next in was Kamran Akmal, the wicket-keeper, but he could contribute just 17 before edging an off-cutter to slips.

The situation was now ripe enough for Razzaq to use the long handle as well as shield the tailenders. The seasoned all-rounder, for some odd reason though, resorted to defensive cricket much to the dismay of the large crowd at the stadium.

In a snail-paced innings, Razzaq plodded around for two hours and 22 minutes to make just 16 off 92 balls. He ran out of partners when Danish Kaneria was found short of his crease at the other end in the last over before lunch to end Pakistan innings.

The West Indies, looking determined on levelling the series in Multan, then set about their batting in a resolute manner with their left-right combination of Gayle and Ganga keeping Pakistan bowlers at bay. They consumed 29 overs in the afternoon to take their side safely through to tea at 62 for no loss.

The two players hardly looked in trouble as they saw off the opening duo of Umar Gul and Shahid Nazir and later negotiated Kaneria well who extracted slow spin off the flat track.

After the break, the openers changed gears to score freely despite Inzamam’s defensive field placing.

On their way to a fine century stand, Gayle and Ganga usurped the previous best opening West Indian partnership of 95 between Roy Fredericks and Leonard Baichan against Pakistan at the Karachi Test of the 1974-75 series.

Ganga’s wristy elegance complemented the power and panache of Gayle as both matched each other in terms of scoring in the first 100 runs.

Gayle, however, then sped away with a flurry of strokes off the three pacers and later launched into part-time off-spinner Mohammad Hafeez who was greeted with a savage pull over mid-wicket fence.

As for Ganga’s knock, majority of his nine boundaries were hit in the cover region and he looked solid in defense and majestic while striking the faster bowlers on front foot.

Gayle, now just 13 runs away from his eighth Test hundred, adorned his 164-ball innings with 10 spanking fours and one six.

It was a luckless day for Inzamam’s men who looked less than enthusiastic about making an impact on the field. They seemed quite overawed by the West Indies’ growing self-confidence and have more or less lost the advantage of Lahore win by their lacklustre show on this second day.

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