Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
Pakistan: Hanif Mohammad, Saeed Anwar, Majid Khan, Javed Miandad, Zaheer Abbas, Asif Iqbal, *Imran Khan, +Wasim Bari, Fazal Mahmood, Abdul Qadir, Waqar Younis.
West Indies: CG Greenidge, DL Haynes, IVA Richards, EdeC Weekes, CH Lloyd, *GStA Sobers, +PJL Dujon, MD Marshall, MA Holding, LR Gibbs, CA Walsh.
Debuts: Nil
Umpires: VK Ramaswamy (IND) & LP Rowan (AUS)
Toss: West Indies
It was winner takes all in Lahore following West Indies' narrow victory in Peshawar, and the cast was almost identical, Fazal Mahmood's inclusion in place of Wasim Akram (side strain) the only change on either side. A very flat looking strip meant that the team winning the toss should gain a significant advantage, and Garry Sobers' correct call gave West Indies the first opportunity to use the immaculately prepared facilities.
Haynes (4) was an early casualty, driving Imran to Qadir at mid off from just the fourth ball of the match, but West Indies dominated the rest of the day's proceedings, rattling up an imposing 361-5 by close of play and eventually totalling 428 at a pace exceeding four runs an over. The innings centred around two partnerships: Greenidge (73) and Richards (103) added 154 for the second wicket as both players found their best form for just about the first time in the series then, after a mid-afternoon wobble left West Indies on a potentially precarious 222-5, Sobers and Dujon took over with a wonderfully phlegmatic, clinically efficient sixth wicket stand.
Both players reached richly deserved centuries during the course of their 178 run liaison, a West Indian record, and Dujon became the first wicket keeper to record the double of 2000 runs and 100 dismissals in the process. Waqar looked a shadow of the bowler that took all ten in New Zealand, and had it not been for Imran's perseverance then West Indies could have disappeared well beyond the horizon. As it was, a spell of 4-18 on the second morning allowed Pakistan's skipper to record his best ever analysis in ATG cricket, and it was now down to his batsmen to mount a worthy response to what was still a formidable total.
Eight players managed to reach double figures in Pakistan's reply, but crucially there were no centuries as the tourists' bowlers plugged away to secure a first innings lead of over a hundred. Saeed Anwar (76) and Majid Khan (52) were both missed by Dujon during a second wicket stand of 102, but once Anwar was well held in the gully by Gibbs off Marshall, wickets fell steadily as Pakistan failed to replicate the dominance displayed by the West Indian batsmen. The crowd became fractious when Javed was contentiously given out caught behind off Marshall by umpire Rowan, and with Pakistan's batting becoming ever more nervous, Holding snapped up the final four wickets as the innings closed on 306 half an hour after tea on the third evening.
West Indies now held the whip hand in this Test, and led by Gordon Greenidge they once again made batting look easy on the fourth day as Pakistan's weary attack continued to toil. Greenidge spanked a 93 ball century as he careered his way to 158, and with Haynes firmly anchored at the other end, 234 runs were amassed for the first wicket before Greenidge was smartly held by Wasim Bari off Qadir. Despite losing much of the afternoon session to rain West Indies managed to rack up a total of 274-3 before Sobers declared upon the fall of Haynes' wicket for 89, and Pakistan faced a target of 397 to win with 45 minutes on the fourth evening and all of the final day to get them.
Batting in the manner of West Indies could still give Pakistan the opportunity to pull of an incredible victory, and a lunchtime score of 103-1 on the final day might have provided the platform for such an onslaught, but a dramatic afternoon's play left West Indies as the only side capable of winning the match. Lance Gibbs finished the session with four wickets to his name after dismissing both openers in the forties, then a defiant partnership of 64 between Majid and Imran was cut off as both partners edged rising deliveries from Walsh and Holding in successive overs. Six wickets had fallen for 89 in a disastrous session for Pakistan, and they now faced defeat in both the match and the series. Brave resistance from the tail frustrated West Indies for a time after tea, but Gibbs took his fifth wicket by inducing Fazal to hole out to Holding for 17, and the new ball then accounted for Qadir (21) and Bari (19) as Pakistan were bowled out for 243, handing West Indies a well deserved victory with nine overs to spare.
West Indies had thus taken the series 2-1, ending the dominance that Pakistan had hitherto enjoyed over them, and their aggressive approach in this match had paid rich dividends. Pakistan had begun the series in fine fashion, but West Indies' tense victory in Peshawar was a crushing blow for the hosts, and a 153 run win here in Lahore rounded off what was eventually a most successful tour for Garry Sobers' team.
ScoresWI 1st Inns 428 (Sobers 104, Richards 103, Dujon 102, Greenidge 73; Imran Khan 6-86)
PAK 1st Inns 306 (Saeed Anwar 76, Majid Khan 52, Javed Miandad 45, Wasim Bari 40; Holding 4-53)
WI 2nd Inns 274-3 dec. (Greenidge 158, Haynes 89)
PAK 2nd Inns 243 (Majid Khan 59, Saeed Anwar 47, Hanif Mohammad 43; Gibbs 5-56)
WEST INDIES WON BY 153 RUNS
Man of the Match: CG Greenidge
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