da lvbet： The pendulum of power that bobbed in Pakistan’s favour for thebest part of the Sharjah Test wobbled gingerly towards theWest Indies before swinging firmly back the way of thefavourites on the fourth day of the Test match at the SharjahCricket
Anand Vasu03-Feb-2002The pendulum of power that bobbed in Pakistan’s favour for thebest part of the Sharjah Test wobbled gingerly towards theWest Indies before swinging firmly back the way of thefavourites on the fourth day of the Test match at the SharjahCricket Association Stadium. Resuming on 325/5, the WestIndies inched their way to 362/5 before being blown away byWaqar Younis. The speedster and Pakistan’s skipper claimedfour wickets for nine runs in the space of 29 balls andscuttled the shell-shocked Windies out for 366. With a lead of127, Pakistan then went hammer and tongs, reaching 214/6declared in 57.4 overs for an overall lead of 341.The West Indian openers Darren Ganga (19*) and Chris Gayle(5*) were sensible enough to safely negotiate the remaining 10overs on the fourth day, taking the West Indies to 24 for noloss at the close of play. This leaves them trailing by 317.Shivnarine Chanderpaul, looking composed at the wicket,resuming on the fourth day with 45, began the slide, havingadded just 11 to his overnight score. The Guyana left-handermade 66 (157 balls, nine fours) before dragging one from Waqarback onto his stumps. Ryan Hinds (62 runs, 131 balls, sevenfours) then top-edged a pull when a short ball got too big onhim too fast. Mervyn Dillon interrupted the flow of Waqarwickets when he was run out, but the last two could not escapea bowler on a rampage.Cameron Cuffy played all around a full delivery that clippedhis leg-stump, while Ridley Jacobs swung one straight down thethroat of Danish Kaneria at fine leg.Waqar Younis, who went wicketless yesterday, was at his fastbowling best. Getting into a good rhythm early on, Waqar gotthe ball to swing late in characteristic fashion. The man whowas once regarded as the best exponent of the toe-crushingyorker in the world ended with figures of 25.3-4-93-4.When a team has a lead of 127 early on the fourth day of aTest match, it is unlikely that anyone is going to get stuckin and play an innings that will be remembered. This wascertainly the case in the Pakistan second innings. Required tonegotiate a tricky spell just before lunch, openers TaufeeqUmar and Naved Latif began slowly but steadily.Debutant Naved Latif, who made nought in his first knock,managed 20 before he edged a Dillon delivery through to thewicket-keeper. Taufeeq Umar, the stylish left-hander, showedglimpses of good form, driving well through the off-sidebefore being needlessly run out. Setting off for a nonexistent single, Umar (23) was sent back, only to be foundshort of his crease.At 54/2, Inzamam ul-Haq joined Younis Khan out in the middleto steady the ship. The pair were separated just before theycould bring up the fifty partnership for the third wicket.Cameron Cuffy surprised Younis Khan (32), and the resultantnick was snapped up behind the stumps.Inzamam, who looked his usual laid-back self at the wicket,stroked the ball well, making 48 (56 balls, five fours) beforebecoming Dillon’s second scalp. Useful contributions fromAbdur Razzaq (29) and yet another clattering innings fromstumper Rashid Latif (47 not out, 42 balls, four fours)enabled Pakistan to declare on 214/7, thus setting West Indiesa target of 342 for victory.