On a Sunday morning in Port of Spain, rain delayed the start of the second and final Test at Queen's Park Oval, and when the coin finally fell, the West Indies captain chose to bat first, a choice that kept his winning side intact. Across the field, Pakistan rearranged itself after a difficult opener, leaving out a bowler who had carried its attack and bringing in fresh faces to chase a series that now hangs on a single match. It is the familiar drama of cricket's oldest form: a team trying to find, in new hands, the thing it lost in old ones.
West Indies Bat First in Second Test as Pakistan Drops Mohammad Abbas
Pakistan left out the man who took eight wickets in the first Test
Mark
West Indies won the toss and batted. Why does that matter here?
Mimi
Chase has now won both tosses and chosen to bat both times, and he's keeping the same eleven that won by 90 runs at Tarouba. It's a settled, confident side.
Mark
And Pakistan is the one making waves with its selection.
Mimi
Yes. Four changes, including leaving out Mohammad Abbas, who took eight wickets in the first Test with a five-for in the second innings.
Luke
Careful with the reason, though. Babar Azam said Abbas was left out because of the conditions. That's his stated explanation, and we don't know more about the thinking behind it.
Mark
Is the decision forced, or a choice?
Mimi
Mixed. Shan Masood's fractured left index finger forces the Shafique change. Dropping Abbas looks like a choice, which is why the report calls it surprising.
Luke
Right, and the report doesn't say what the conditions are beyond early morning rain delaying the toss. Whether that justifies the call is unproven until play unfolds.
Mark
Two debutants, then.
Mimi
Ubaid Shah and Awais Zafar. Zafar replaces Aamer Jamal, and Sajid Khan replaces Khurram Shahzad.
Luke
Worth saying nobody knows yet how they'll perform. The only fact is that Pakistan is leaning on inexperience in a match it needs to win to level the series.
O Pulso
- Pakistan trails the series after a 90-run defeat and must answer immediately or lose the rubber.
- The dropping of Mohammad Abbas, who took eight wickets in the opener, has stirred questions about the team's selection logic.
- Two debutants, Ubaid Shah and Awais Zafar, step into a decider with little room for error.
- Shan Masood's fractured finger forces a stand-in, and Abdullah Shafique steps up to fill the gap left by a centurion.
- Rain shadowed the morning start, and the conditions that Babar Azam cited now test whether the new combination can hold.
On a Sunday morning in Port of Spain, rain delayed the start of the second and final Test at Queen's Park Oval, and when the coin finally fell, the West Indies captain chose to bat first, a choice that kept his winning side intact. Across the field, Pakistan rearranged itself after a difficult opener, leaving out a bowler who had carried its attack and bringing in fresh faces to chase a series that now hangs on a single match. It is the familiar drama of cricket's oldest form: a team trying to find, in new hands, the thing it lost in old ones.
Rain delayed the start at Queen's Park Oval in Port of Spain on Sunday, pushing the toss back by fifteen minutes. When the coin finally came down, West Indies captain Roston Chase won it for the second Test running and chose to bat first in the series decider against Pakistan.
West Indies made no changes. The side that won the opener at Tarouba by 90 runs takes the field again, unchanged in every position.
Pakistan's story is one of upheaval. Mohammad Abbas, their best red-ball bowler and the man who took eight wickets in the first Test, was left out, a surprise that captain Babar Azam explained by pointing to the conditions. Ubaid Shah makes his Test debut in his place. Shan Masood, the centurion from the opener, is out with a fractured left index finger, and Abdullah Shafique replaces him. Awais Zafar earns his debut, Sajid Khan returns in place of Khurram Shahzad, and four changes in all reshape the side.
Pakistan trails the series and must level it here. With two debutants, a stand-in for its centurion, and no Abbas, the question is whether these changes will hold on a rain-affected morning in Port of Spain.
Rain held up the start at Queen's Park Oval in Port of Spain on Sunday morning, pushing the toss back by 15 minutes. When it finally happened, West Indies captain Roston Chase won it for the second Test in a row and chose to bat first in the second and final Test against Pakistan.
West Indies made no changes. The side that won the opening Test at Tarouba by 90 runs takes the field again, with Chase leading an XI that includes Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Brandon King, Kavem Hodge, Shai Hope, Amir Jangoo, Justin Greaves, Jomel Warrican, Kemar Roach, Shamar Joseph and Jayden Seales.
The bigger news came from the Pakistan camp. The team left out Mohammad Abbas, its best red-ball bowler, a surprise given how he performed at Tarouba. He took eight wickets in that match, including a five-wicket haul in the second innings. Captain Babar Azam explained at the toss that Abbas had been omitted because of the conditions. Pace bowler Ubaid Shah gets his Test debut in his place.
Abbas was one of four changes Pakistan made. Shan Masood, who scored a century in the first Test, has a fractured left index finger and is out. Abdullah Shafique replaces him.
Pakistan also handed a Test debut to batter Awais Zafar, who comes in for all-rounder Aamer Jamal. Off-spinner Sajid Khan replaces Khurram Shahzad.
Pakistan's XI is Azan Awais, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Agha, Awais Zafar, Ali Usman, Sajid Khan, Mohammad Ali and Ubaid Shah.
Pakistan trails in the series after the 90-run loss, so this match is its chance to level it. It will attempt that with two debutants, a stand-in for its centurion and without its most successful bowler from the opener. How those changes hold up on a rain-affected morning in Port of Spain is the question as West Indies begin their innings.
Citações Notáveis
Abbas was left out because of the conditions.— Babar Azam, Pakistan captain, at the toss (paraphrased)
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