Ajmal, Hafeez  rip through Windies on first day
ANOTHER pathetic batting display from the West Indies, who were befuddled by the spin of Saeed Ajmal (4-63), saw the home team crawl to 209 for 9 at the close of play on the first day of their first Digicel Test match against Pakistan at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, yesterday. Winning the toss and opting to take first strike on a track that was good for batting, the West Indies found themselves at 15 for 1 in the sixth over, when Devon Smith (13) whose susceptibility to spin continued when he was bowled between bat and pad by his nemesis in the series Mohammed Hafeez (2-22). After the first hour’s play, the home team were 25 for 1 with Lendl Simmons on 8 and Darren Bravo 4, as the home team, who lost the limited overs series 3-2, struggled against the all-spin attack of Hafeez, Ajmal and Abdur Rehman.
Two fours from Simmons through the cover and point, carried his personal score to 20 and at the same time realised the Windies’ 50 from 24.3 overs, with Bravo who was on 17, before Simmons drove Ajmal through extra cover for his third four.
Simmons and Bravo raised their 50-run second – wicket partnership from 145 balls and 89 minutes batting in the 30th over of their innings, with Simmons on 29 and Bravo 23 and at lunch the West Indies were 66 for 1.
Pakistan removed Bravo after lunch via lbw –  which was sent for a review – for 25, bringing an end to his 56-run second-wicket partnership with Simmons who was on 33. He was joined by Ramnaresh Sarwan.
A six struck over wide long on by Simmons off Rehman steadied the nerves of the home team, but they could have been 79 for 3, had Azhar Ali who was stationed at gully, held a chance offered by Simmons off Riaz in the next over.
Simmons was struck on his left knee by Riaz and was forced to retire hurt when on 41 made off 100 balls with three fours and one six while batting for 143 minutes, and was replaced by the left-handed dependable batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul who got a warm applause from the fair-size crowd.
The West Indies reached their 100 from 42.1 overs, with Sarwan on 16 and Chanderpaul who worked Riaz off his legs for 4 to fine leg, on 7 and when play resumed, Chanderpaul eased Gul through mid on for four to push the score to 108 for 2.
Like Simmons before him, Chanderpaul was given a life by wicketkeeper Mohammad Salman who failed to hold on to a straightforward chance off the bowling of Gul, with the ball making its way to the boundary where it nestled against the ropes.
The West Indies lost Sarwan who was caught at the wicket by Salman off Rehman for 23 ending his 46-run third-wicket partnership with Chanderpaul and at tea, they were 131 for 3 with Chanderpaul on 20 and vice-captain Brendan Nash 4.
After tea, Nash was given a life by Ali who was at silly mid off, as he pushed forward to Ajmal in the first over at 136 for 3, but Pakistan did not pay for Nash’s let off, as he was lbw to Ajmal’s first ball of the second over after tea for 5, while the West Indies inched their way past the 150 mark in the 65th over of the innings.
Darren Sammy struck a four through square leg off Rehman to open his account and followed it with a six over midwicket three overs later, before he was caught by Umar Akmal running back from mid-on off the next ball.
Simmons resumed his innings, using Bravo as his runner and joined Chanderpaul who was given a life by Misbah-Ul-Haq at the solitary slip position off Ajmal when on 25 with the West Indies 154 for 6 in the 70th over.
As was the scenario when Nash was let off, Pakistan were not made to pay when Chanderpaul was let off, as Ajmal returned to knock back the off stump of the second highest run-scorer in Test cricket for the West Indies in his next over, much to the joy of his teammates.
Barbadian fast bowler Kemar Roach joined Simmons whose previous best was 24 against England two years ago and watched as the Trinidad and Tobago batsman failed to reach his maiden half-century at this level as he was lbw to Ajmal who troubled all the Windies batsmen with his spin.
Simmons faced 130 balls while batting for 191 minutes, having batted for 154 minutes before he retired hurt, hitting three fours and one six and from 71 for 2, the West Indies slipped to 175 for 8 with Ravi Rampaul and debutant Devendra Bishoo being the batsmen left.
Rampaul showed he is not a rabbit with the bat, when he struck Gul and Ajmal for boundaries before he was lbw to Hafeez for 14 at 198 for 9 and when Bishoo steered his first delivery from Hafeez to short third man for two, he did not only score his first run in Test cricket, but raised his team’s 200 in the 87th over.
An on-drive for four to long on brought smiles to the face of his teammates and at the close of play, West Indies reached 209 for 9 with Roach on 16 and Bishoo 10.
Play will resume at 10:00h on the second day today.

WEST INDIES 1st innings
D. Smith b Hafeez    13
L. Simmons lbw Ajmal    49
D. Bravo lbw Riaz    25
R. Sarwan c Salman b Rehman    23
S. Chanderpaul b Ajmal    27
B. Nash lbw Ajmal    5
C. Baugh lbw Ajmal    4
D. Sammy c Akmal b Rehman    12
K. Roach not out    16
R. Rampaul lbw    14
D. Bishoo not out    10
Extras: (lb-8, w-1, nb-2)    11
Total: (for 9 wickets, off 90 overs)    209
Fall of wickets: 1-15, 2-71, 3-127, 4-136, 5-142, 6-159, 7-162, 8-175, 9-198.
Bowling: Gul 13-0-40-0, Hafeez 13-5-22-2, Rehman 26-9-46-2, Ajmal 29-12-63-4, Riaz 9-1-30-1 (nb-2, w-1).