TAROUBA: Pakistan head coach Sarfraz Ahmed lamented his side’s inability to capitalise on key moments after another batting collapse condemned the tourists to a 90-run defeat against the West Indies in the opening Test on Tuesday.
Sarfraz insisted Shamar Joseph’s counter-attacking cameo late on the third day and Pakistan’s failure to build a substantial first-innings lead proved decisive.
“I think both teams played really good cricket for the first three days,” the former skipper told reporters after the match. “The last session on the third day changed the game a little bit. The way Shamar Joseph batted took the match slightly away from us.
“We also had a good opportunity in the first innings. Had we managed another 50 runs and taken a bigger lead, I think it would have been much better for us.”
Those missed opportunities came back to haunt Pakistan as they were bowled out for 120 in pursuit of 211 at the Brian Lara Cricket Stadium, handing the West Indies a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.
Jayden Seales spearheaded the hosts’ pace attack with five wickets for 20 — his fourth Test five-for — while Justin Greaves and Joseph chipped in as Pakistan’s batting once again unravelled under pressure.
Only captain Babar Azam resisted with an unbeaten 58, sharing a defiant but ultimately futile 49-run last-wicket stand with Mohammad Abbas (23) after Pakistan had slumped to 71-9.
The defeat extended Pakistan’s worrying run in the longest format, marking their fourth successive Test loss, eighth consecutive away defeat and 13th loss in their last 17 Tests.
The tourists had entered the final day requiring 211 after dismissing the West Indies for 181 in their second innings, with Abbas finishing with outstanding figures of five for 22.
However, Joseph’s brisk 38 off 27 deliveries, featuring four sixes, pushed the target beyond what proved attainable on a surface offering increasing assistance to the seamers.
Pakistan’s chase never gathered momentum as Seales ripped through the top order with the new ball. Imam-ul-Haq, Azan Awais and Salman Ali Agha all departed cheaply before Greaves joined the wicket-taking spree to leave Pakistan in deep trouble.
Any hopes of a recovery rested briefly on Shan Masood, but the left-hander — who fractured a finger while compiling 109 in the first innings — could bat only at number eight and managed just three before edging Seales to backward point.
Sarfraz admitted Shan’s injury disrupted Pakistan’s plans.
“Shan scored a brilliant hundred in the first innings but got injured while batting,” the coach said. “That cost us because he couldn’t bat in his proper position in the second innings.”
Despite the defeat, Sarfraz defended Pakistan’s decision to field four specialist fast bowlers and only one frontline spinner.
“We read the pitch correctly and felt we needed five bowlers with extra pace,” he said. “Fast bowlers dominated the match for both teams, so I think our decision was absolutely right.”
Instead, the coach identified Pakistan’s recurring batting collapses as the principal concern.
“We’ve spoken to the batsmen and identified the issues, but we keep suffering collapses which hurt the team badly. Hopefully, we’ll perform better as a batting unit in the next match.”
Captain Babar echoed that assessment, saying Pakistan had failed to stitch together meaningful partnerships.
“As a batting unit, we weren’t up to the mark,” Babar said. “We kept losing wickets back-to-back and that’s something we’re working on.”
He added that the conditions alone could not explain the defeat.
“This surface was good. We expected some uneven bounce and movement with the new ball, and we prepared for that. But they bowled very well, used the conditions effectively and we just couldn’t build partnerships.”
West Indies captain Roston Chase praised the collective contribution that secured only his second Test victory as skipper.
“I love the direction this team is heading,” Chase said. “We’re not relying on one or two players. Everyone is chipping in at crucial moments.”
Chase also dedicated the victory to West Indies great Sir Garfield Sobers.
“We wanted to make him proud and had a chat about it before the match. I hope he is smiling down on us.”
Greaves, who claimed match figures of seven for 39 to be named player-of-the-match, said the hosts had drawn inspiration from Pakistan’s own pace spearhead.
“It was just about being disciplined,” he said. “Watching Mohammad Abbas bowl in both innings, we tried to mimic that and it pretty much worked out well for us.”
Pakistan will look to level the series when the second and final Test begins at Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain on Sunday.
Scoreboard
WEST INDIES (1st Innings) 311 (S. Hope 92, Mohammad Ali 4-50)
PAKISTAN (1st Innings) 282 (Shan Masood 109; J. Greaves 5-27)
WEST INDIES (2nd Innings) 181 (S. Joseph 38; Mohammad Abbas 5-22)
PAKISTAN (2nd Innings):
Azan Awais c Hope b Seales3
Imam-ul-Haq c Hope b Roach3
Babar Azam not out58
Salman Ali Agha lbw b Seales0
Mohammad Rizwan b Greaves11
Aamer Jamal lbw b Greaves0
Ali Usman c Greaves b Roach2
Shan Masood c Joseph b Seales3
Khurram Shahzad b Seales4
Mohammad Ali c Greaves b Joseph0
Mohammad Abbas lbw b Seales23
EXTRAS (LB-9, NB-4)13
TOTAL (all out, 40.2 overs)120
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-5 (Imam), 2-21 (Azan), 3-25 (Salman), 4-46 (Rizwan), 5-50 (Aamer), 6-53 (Usman), 7-64 (Shan), 8-70 (Khurram), 9-71 (Ali)
BOWLING: Roach 8-2-27-2 (2nb), Seales 14.2-6-20-5, Joseph 10-0-44-1 (1nb), Greaves 5-1-12-2 (1nb), Warrican 2-1-6-0, Hodge 1-0-2-0
RESULT: West Indies won by 90 runs.
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Justin Greaves
SERIES: West Indies lead two-match series 1-0.
Published in Dawn, July 30th, 2026
