A JASON Mohammed masterclass helped West Indies complete a stunning four-wicket win over Pakistan in the first of the three-match One Day International (ODI) series yesterday, at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.
Chasing 308, Mohammed made an unbeaten 91 off 58 balls, as the home team completed the highest successful run chase in their ODI history, with an over to spare, reaching 309-6.
Mohammed came out with all guns blazing, hitting eleven fours and three sixes, as the Pakistanis simply could not contain him, treating Pakistan’s over-hyped fast-bowling attack with disdain.
Kieran Powell also produced an eye-catching display, with an 85-ball 61, while Evin Lewis contributed 47 at the top. But it was Ashley Nurse who gave Mohammed adequate support towards the end, with an unbeaten 34.
Earlier, barring off-spinner Nurse (4-62), the other bowlers around him fell flat against a collective batting show put on by Pakistan.
Like the Pakistanis seamers, West Indies too were short with their length, and were off the mark on the newly re-laid track that offered them zero response.
Pakistan’s total was set up by half-centuries from Mohammad Hafeez (88 off 92 balls), Ahmed Shehzad (67 off 83 balls) and Shoaib Malik (53 off 38 balls), along with a 49-ball 48 from Kamran Akmal, after the West Indies won the toss and opted to bowl first.
Openers Shehzad and Akmal, returning to the ODI side after a four-year gap, gave Pakistan opening partnership immediate energy, with Akmal starting his account with a consummate square-driven boundary off Shannon Gabriel before depositing a length ball into the deep mid-wicket stand three balls later.
West Indies had the chance to strike early but Nurse floored a difficult chance at second slip, with Shehzad on one. They were made to pay, as the right-hander then got into the act, hitting consecutive boundaries off Alzarri Joseph in the same over.
Both openers blossomed at ease, and even a bowling chance in the sixth over could not have prevented the steady flow of runs, as the pair helped themselves well to the multiple scoring opportunities on offer.
Akmal, in particular, was equally harsh against off-spinners Jason Mohamed and Nurse, hitting a series of boundaries, including two sixes – a straight one off Mohamed before lofting Nurse over the extra-cover region.
Soon after, Jason Holder provided the first breakthrough, with the wicket of Akmal, at 85-1.
Mohammad Hafeez replaced Akmal, and settled himself by smashing Devendra Bishoo for the first of his three sixes over the region between long-on and deep midwicket. Thereafter runs dried up somewhat, with the run rate slipping below five an over.
But during that period, Shehzad got to his half-century off 68 balls before Nurse removed both Shehzad and Babar Azam, who failed to make much of a difference at No. 4.
Despite those setbacks, Hafeez got to his fifty off 68 balls, but overcame his slow start, and along with Malik, the Pakistan’s most experienced batsmen pulverised the West Indies attack, adding 88 for the fourth-wicket in ten overs.
Hafeez broke the shackles, hitting Nurse for two fours and a six in the 38th over to put all the debate to rest.
But it was Malik, who was instrumental in injecting impetus into an innings after no boundary was scored between overs 25.3 and 37.
Malik was dropped as early as 5 by Shannon Gabriel at short fine leg, and that spurred the veteran middle-order batsman to cut loose soon after. While Hafeez ensured that at least one hit went over the ropes every over, Malik hit Holder for two fours and a six in a row to reach his fifty.
However, when both batsmen were dismissed to Nurse, Pakistan were well on course for a total beyond 300. Skipper Safraz Ahmed then chipped in with 20 off 13 balls towards the end
West Indies’ chase started badly when Chadwick Walton fell to Mohammad Amir for seven but Lewis and Kieran Powell attacked and moved the score to 91 before Lewis was bowled by Hafeez for 47.
At the other end, Powell continued to mix dogged determination with dashing strokes to reach his fifty off 77 balls.
The visitors then removed Powell and Shai Hope in quick succession to put Pakistan right on top.
Those dismissals brought Mohammed and Jonathan Carter to the middle and the right-hander Mohammed did not disappoint. He dominated the 70-run partnership with Carter but when Carter and Holder were both dismissed, West Indies were left to get with 47 off 30 balls.
Nurse then joined Mohammed and he too played a calm cameo to take the home side across the finish line. The second ODI is billed for Sunday.

SCOREBOARD

PAKISTAN innings
A. Shehzad b Nurse 67
K. Akmal c Walton b Holder 47
M. Hafeez c Walton b Nurse 88
B. Azam c Joseph b Nurse 13
S. Malik c Holder b Nurse 53
S. Ahmed not out 20
I. Wasim not out 6
Extras: (b-3, lb-3, w-7, nb-1) 14
Total: (5 wickets, 50 overs) 308
Fall of wickets: 1-85, 2-149, 3-177, 4-266, 5-284.
Bowling: Joseph 10-1-49-0, Gabriel 10-0-69-0, Mohammed 4-1-28-0, Nurse 10-0-62-4, Bishoo 6-0-36-0.
WEST INDIES innings
E. Lewis b Hafeez 47
C. Walton c Riaz b Amir 7
K. Powell c Akmal b Riaz 61
S. Hope stp. Sarfraz Ahmed b Khan 24
J. Mohammed not out 91
J. Carter c Riaz b Amir 14
J. Holder c Azam b Khan 11
A. Nurse not out 34
Extras: (lb-6, w-13, nb-1) 20
Total: (6 wickets, 49 overs) 309
Fall of wickets: 1-23, 2-91, 3-156, 4-158, 5-228, 6-259.
Bowling: Amir 9-0-59-2, Ali 5-0-43-0, Hafeez 8-0-35-1, Malik 6-0-24-0, Riaz 9-0-69-1, Khan 9-0-52-2, Wasim 3-0-21-0.