WEST Indies were left staring defeat in the face after centuries for Taufeeq Umar and Misbah-ul-Haq put Pakistan in control at Basseterre.
The pair guided their side to a declaration at 377 for six and the Windies were then reduced to 130 for five by the close, still 296 runs adrift, despite Darren Bravo’s half-century.
Pakistan resumed on 202 for three, 241 ahead, with opener Taufeeq three runs short of his century having been dropped on one by Bravo.
It took him until the seventh over of the morning to get there with a single off Ravi Rampaul, having earlier survived all sorts of confusion as he and Misbah-ul-Haq ran the single that took him to 99.
The opener was run-out by Darren Sammy for 135 but Misbah pressed on, twice hitting Devendra Bishoo for four before new man Umar Akmal followed suit via the outside edge. Misbah was 85 not out at tea but had to play second fiddle early in the evening as Umar hit sixes in successive overs from Bishoo and Rampaul to bring up the 50 partnership.
Bishoo gained a measure of revenge, finding some big turn to beat Umar’s bat and clip the top of off stump, sending him back for 30. Mohammed Salman came and went, but not before top-edging Rampaul for six, before Misbah finished the innings with a boundary to bring up his century and the declaration.
The hosts, then, were left to chase a notional 427 or bat out more than four sessions for a draw. They made a dismal start as debutant opener Kraigg Brathwaite fell for a duck, cleaned up by a big inswinger from Tanvir Ahmed.
The Windies were 54 for one at tea, with Bravo on 23 having overtaken Lendl Simmons (21). The latter added only three to his tally despite being spared when Salman missed a stumping chance off Mohammad Hafeez in the second over after the interval.
Hafeez turned catcher when Simmons did fall in the next over, clinging on at the second attempt after Simmons cut Rehman to second slip. Ramnaresh Sarwan followed for a duck, given lbw to Rehman after Billy Bowden’s initial not-out decision was overturned by third umpire Tony Hill following a DRS referral.
Umar put down a difficult chance diving forwards at point as Bravo pressed towards fifty, but he lost partner Marlon Samuels (six) when Salman claimed a sharp catch off Rehman’s bowling.
Bravo’s patient fifty came up when he clipped his 139th delivery, bowled by Hafeez, to mid-on but he did not add to that total as he failed to overturn Wahab Riaz’s lbw appeal on referral, leaving his side 115 for five. Nash (30 n.o.) and Carlton Baugh (7 n.o.) made it to the close.