All-round Pakistan take unassailable series lead

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Having taken out the first T20I on Monday, Pakistan sealed their series win on Tuesday with a nine-run victory.

Pakistan won the toss and opted to bat first in the second T20I at the National Stadium in Karachi. While the hosts remained unchanged from their 63-run win from the first game, West Indies made one change – Hayden Walsh Jr replacing the injured Devon Thomas.

Walsh (1/30) made an instant impact on the game – not with the ball but with his fielding – after he completed a run-out to dismiss skipper Babar Azam (7). Played to the backward point region, Mohammad Rizwan set off for a quick single that was never there. Walsh Jr covered ground quickly and threw it straight into the hands of the keeper, who dislodged the stumps with Azam still far from the crease.

Fakhar Zaman (10) followed his captain back to the pavilion inside the Powerplay. Trying to take the left-arm spinner, Akeal Hosein (1/16), on with the angle, Zaman went for the big one but only caught air, leaving Nicholas Pooran with a simple stumping opportunity.

It was Rizwan again who did the bulk of the scoring for Pakistan in the fielding restrictions, scoring 26 out of Pakistan's Powerplay score of 50.

Haider Ali and Rizwan, the pair that put on a 105-run stand in the first T20I, added 48 runs for the third wicket before Rizwan was done by a slower one from Odean Smith (2/24). Ali looked off-colour in his innings of 31 that came in 34 balls. He too fell to Smith as he holed out in the deep, with Shamarh Brooks taking a well-judged catch inches away from the boundary ropes.

Mohammad Nawaz failed to replicate his heroics with the bat from the last game as he was caught at deep midwicket trying to clear the ropes for one. Pakistan were reduced to 127/6 at the end of the 17th over after the wicket of Asif Ali (9).

Thankfully for Pakistan, the lower order came to the rescue in the final three overs. Ifthikar Ahmed cleared the ropes twice in the 18th over before he was caught behind off the final ball of Oshane Thomas' (1/35) spell for 32.

Dominic Drakes leaked 17 runs in the penultimate over of the innings, with Shadab Khan (28*) smashing a six and a four while Mohammad Wasim (5) brought out the scoop for a boundary.

Shadab closed the innings with a flourish, tonking two more maximums in the final over, as he finished on 28* off 12 balls. With 45 runs in the last three overs, Pakistan got to 172/8.

The West Indies innings got off to the worst possible start with Wasim (2/39) striking in his very first over and the third of the innings to get the dismissal of Shai Hope (1). Hope went for a flick but it hit the toe-end of the bat as he was caught in the deep for 1.

Shamarh Brooks too couldn't last long, being trapped plumb by Nawaz (2/36) after a knock of 10 runs. It was now left to skipper Pooran and Brandon King to steer the West Indies ship in the right direction.

The pair embarked on a stand of 54 runs which kept the visitors alive in the contest. King especially would play some cracking strokes, going at a brisk pace which meant the required rate would not get out of hand.

Just as West Indies got in a position to tee off in the latter stage of the innings, Pooran would depart after a run a ball 26. Attempting a big one against Nawaz, he would hole out in the deep with Haris Rauf taking a stunning athletic catch.

King would then bring up his maiden half-century in T20I cricket and seemed like the last remaining hope for the visitors as he lost Powell from the other end for 4.

But he could not take the West Indies home with Nawaz now returning the favour off Rauf's bowling, taking a comfortable catch at long-on. Nonetheless, it was a commendable effort from King who would depart after a well-made 67.

Smith would try his best to keep the Windies in the hunt with a couple of lusty blows but a brilliant fielding effort from Asif Ali in the deep would bring an end to his knock of 12.

Romario Shephard would then unleash some scintillating strokes, with an entertaining cameo of 35* off 19.

But it wouldn't prove to be enough as the Windies fell short by nine runs, despite a commendable effort.

Shaheen Afridi was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3/26.

With the victory, Pakistan took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.