Pakistan squander promising position after Shan Masood’s century

E-Paper | July 28, 2026

TAROUBA: Pakistan’s centurion Shan Masood is bowled by West Indies pacer Justin Greaves during the first Test at the Brian Lara Stadium on Monday.—AFP

TAROUBA: Pakistan squandered a promising position after Shan Masood’s century as Justin Greaves triggered a dramatic collapse to leave the tourists struggling at 267-8, still 44 runs behind West Indies, at lunch on the third day of the second Test at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy on Monday.

Resuming on 199-3, Pakistan appeared well placed to overhaul West Indies’ first-innings total of 311 after Shan completed a determined century — his seventh in Tests and first against the Caribbean side — in the opening hour.

The left-hander, unbeaten overnight on 88, reached the milestone with a single through the covers off pacer Shamar Joseph after surviving a probing spell from the West Indies quicks. His 109 came off 184 balls and included 12 boundaries in an innings that underpinned Pakistan’s reply.

Shan and Salman Ali Agha safely negotiated the first hour, extending their fourth-wicket partnership despite disciplined bowling from Kemar Roach and Jayden Seales. Salman, who had crawled through a testing start, gradually settled in and struck three boundaries in his 20.

Pakistan’s hopes of taking a significant first-innings lead, however, unravelled in the space of half an hour.

Joseph provided the breakthrough by producing a superb delivery that seamed away to bowl Salman for 20, ending a fourth-wicket stand of 47.

That dismissal opened the floodgates as Greaves produced a devastating spell with the ageing ball.

The medium-pacer first deceived Shan with a delivery that jagged back to clip the stumps, ending the former captain’s marathon knock with Pakistan on 244-5.

Greaves then bowled Aamer Jamal for three with another full delivery that pierced the defence before trapping debutant Ali Usman leg-before for a duck after a futile review.

Mohammad Rizwan’s attempt to counterattack also failed when he edged Greaves behind for 12, handing the all-rounder remarkable figures of four wickets in four overs.

Khurram Shahzad eased some of the pressure by driving Shamar Joseph for two boundaries in the final over before lunch to move unbeaten on eight, while Mohammad Abbas was yet to score.

On the second day, Shan had anchored a strong reply by Pakistan along with opener batsman Imam-ul-Haq and ensured the day belonged almost completely to the visitors after the home side slipped from their overnight position of 194 for three — pacer Mohammad Ali taking four wickets as the Pakistan seamers made up for an indifferent effort on the opening day.

Removed as captain in the aftermath of a 2-0 series loss in Bangladesh in May, Shan enjoyed early luck and then survived a late scare. In between though, the 36-year-old batted attractively.

His 155-run second-wicket partnership with Imam following the early loss of Azan Awais to Roach came at almost a run-a-ball through a scorching afternoon when the West Indies bowlers failed to establish any consistency in line and length, paying a heavy price as the two left-handers made merry in the blistering sunshine.

Joseph and Seales redressed the balance somewhat in the final session with the wickets of Imam and Babar Azam, the veteran right-hander re-appointed as captain for this brief series and falling just before bad light took the players off the field for the last time.

“My main focus was to leave the ball well and I was just waiting for them (the bowlers) to come in my zone to score runs, and luckily enough it turned out to be my day,” said Imam in reflecting on his contribution, which included seven fours off 102 deliveries.

Earlier, Ali claimed the last three victims shortly after lunch as the West Indies lost their last five wickets for 54 runs.

Joseph, who belted three fours and six in 23 off 13 balls, gloved an attempted hook to Salman before Hope was trapped lbw for 92, eight short of a sixth Test century. He had spent more than five hours at the crease in a watchful effort that featured a lone six and six fours.

Ali then bowled Seales comprehensively to finish with four for 50 and went a long way to ease the frustration of the opening day.

Shortly after though it was Seales’ turn to be left exasperated as Shan was missed in the slip cordon and then later in the day was fortunate to escape a leg-before verdict with the assistance of the television technology and the on-field umpire’s original not out verdict.

Seales was therefore more relieved than jubilant when he had Babar caught behind, Salman surviving the remaining minutes with his captain to carry the fight into day three.

Scoreboard

WEST INDIES (1st Innings):

T. Chanderpaul c Salman b Aamer21

B. King b Abbas12

K. Hodge c Salman b Khurram84

A. Jangoo lbw b Abbas21

S. Hope lbw b Ali92

J. Greaves c Salman b Ali15

R. Chase c Rizwan b Abbas10

K. Roach c Babar b Khurram3

S. Joseph c Salman b Ali23

J. Warrican not out1

Jayden Seales b Ali0

EXTRAS (B-10, LB-6, NB-10, W-3)29

TOTAL (all out, 98.5 overs)311

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-13 (King), 2-64 (Chanderpaul), 3-106 (Jangoo), 4-197 (Hodge), 5-231 (Greaves), 6-257 (Chase), 7-274 (Roach), 8-304 (Joseph), 9-311 (Hope)

BOWLING: Abbas 26-6-63-3 (1w, 2nb), Khurram 23-5-66-2 (5nb), Ali 21.5-5-50-4 (1w, 3nb), Usman 13-1-35-0, Aamer 15-1-81-1 (1w)

PAKISTAN (1st Innings, overnight 199-3):

Azan Awais b Roach0

Imam-ul-Haq c Greaves b Joseph63

Shan Masood b Greaves109

Babar Azam c Hope b Seales23

Salman Ali Agha b Joseph20

Mohammad Rizwan c Hope b Greaves12

Aamer Jamal b Greaves3

Ali Usman lbw b Greaves0

Khurram Shahzad not out8

Mohammad Abbas not out0