Pakistan continued to exert their dominance over West Indies by registering a 133-run win in Abu Dhabi and thereby taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match Test series. Leg-spinner Yasir Shah continued to build on his burgeoning reputation, finishing with figures of 6/124 and a match haul of 10/210 to help his team defend a stiff target of 456. For the Windies, Jermaine Blackwood scored a crisp 95 to delay the inevitable on day five before folding out for 322.
The writing was on the wall for Jason Holder's side as they began the day at 171/4. Blackwood was set and, in lively batting conditions, decided to combat the situation by attacking, and brought up several boundaries. Wicketkeeper Shai Hope refused to throw his wicket away cheaply. Once again, West Indies had no answer to Pakistan's spin threat. Shah was a delight when he got the ball to drift into the batsmen from a fuller length.
Blackwood fell to Shah, five short of a well-deserved hundred. Left-arm spinner Zulfiquar Babar also came to the party and accounted for the crucial wicket of Hope, who was beginning to frustrate the Pakistan bowlers. Babar landed the final blow with Devendra Bishoo holing out at cover as he looked to clear the fence. West Indies have lost all their games after touching down in the United Arab Emirates. The final Test will be played in Sharjah.
Brief scores:
Pakistan 452 (Younis Khan 127, Misbah-ul-Haq 96; Shannon Gabriel 5/96) & 227/2 (Azhar Ali 79, Asad Shafiq 58 not out; Miguel Cummins 1/26) beat West Indies 224 (Darren Bravo 43; Yasir Shah 4/86, Rahat Ali 3/45) & 322 (Jermaine Blackwood 95, Kraigg Brathwaite 62; Yasir Shah 6/124) 133 runs.
