Twitter Reactions: Jayden Seales, Kemar Roach secure West Indies victory in thriller at Sabina Park

Pakistan started Day four of the Jamaica Test with a 124-run lead and five wickets in hand. Skipper Babar Azam and Faheem Ashraf were the overnight batters and a lot depended on them. However, both of them perished in quick succession with the lead up to a mere 134.

Seales shines for the hosts

Babar had managed a patient 160-ball 55 before Kyle Mayers dismissed him. Kemar Roach got rid of Faheem. Hasan Ali threw his bat around to score 28 runs with two sixes and four apiece. In the meantime, Jayden Seales picked up his maiden five-wicket haul in Test cricket.

The pacer ran through Pakistan’s tail and became the youngest Caribbean bowler to get a fifer in the longest format. In the end, the visitors were bundled out for 203, giving the hosts a target of 168 runs. The Caribbean team made a horrendous start to their run-chase.

Roach holds his nerve

Shaheen Afridi pinned Kraigg Brathwaite, Kieran Powell, and Nkrumah Bonner in quick succession. Roston Chase and Jermaine Blackwood’s 68-run stand steadied the ship for the hosts. However, Hasan Ali and Faheem Ashraf picked regular wickets to give Pakistan the upper hand.

Blackwood perished to Hasan after scoring 55. With one wicket left and 17 runs needed, Roach came to the party with the bat in hand. He stayed unbeaten on 30 and took West Indies over the finishing line. Mohammad Abbas and Yasir Shah couldn’t pick up a wicket.

West Indies won the game by one wicket and took a 1-0 lead in the two-match series. Brathwaite said that the track at the venue tested the patience of the players. Babar, on the other hand, rued missing a couple of catching chances.

We never lost hope: Kraigg Brathwaite

“A remarkable Test. We never lost hope. Pakistan bowled very well, and this pitch requires patience from the batsmen. Whoever had more patience came out on top. We have some time before the next Test and it will be a different pitch,” Brathwaite said following the contest.

“We were patient and wanted to build a partnership. Hasan, Shaheen, and Abbas were good throughout, and we took our catches, but we did drop two in the final session which might have made the difference,” Babar was quoted as saying after the match.

Here’s how the netizens reacted to West Indies’ win: