Ending a long three-year wait and a period of frustration, Pakistan has finally secured a Test victory on foreign soil. Captain Babar Azam’s side sealed a dominant eight-wicket win over the West Indies in the second Test, drawing the two-match series 1–1. This marks Pakistan’s first red-ball victory away from home since July 2023.
Chasing a modest target of just 75 runs on the fourth day in Trinidad, the visitors crossed the finish line with ease. Captain Babar Azam himself sealed the win in style by hitting spinner Jomel Warrican for back-to-back sixes. With this reassuring victory, Pakistan climbed to eighth place in the World Test Championship points table, overtaking the West Indies.
A tactical call by Babar Azam proved to be the turning point of the match. Leaving out in-form veteran pacer Mohammad Abbas to play an extra spinner paid off completely. Following Abdullah Shafique’s brilliant unbeaten century in the first innings, Pakistani spinners Ali Usman and Sajid Khan dismantled the West Indian batting lineup in the second, taking four wickets apiece.
Captain Babar Azam remarked, “Winning naturally brings satisfaction. However, our main success lay in executing our plans on the field. Abdullah’s responsible batting and the disciplined bowling by our spinners in the second innings made the key difference. Seeing the pitch reminded us of conditions back in Pakistan, which prompted the decision to include an extra spinner, even though it meant leaving out a few experienced players.”
The standout player of the series was Abdullah Shafique, who was named Player of the Match. Shafique was not originally part of the touring squad and only earned a late call-up after Abdullah Fazal was ruled out with a back injury prior to the first Test. He made the most of the opportunity, guiding his side toward victory with a key century.
Reflecting on his performance, Shafique stated, “To me, it felt like playing a debut match. I hadn’t received many playing opportunities recently, but as a professional cricketer, staying mentally prepared and delivering your best when given a chance is the priority.”
Having leveled the series in the Caribbean, a confident Pakistan team will now travel to England for their next assignment: a three-match Test series set to begin on August 19 at Headingley.
