West Indies Claim First ODI-Series Win Over Pakistan In 34 Years
Hope, who is quietly turning tables, helping the team to resurge on the international level, paved the way for the West Indies with an undefeated score of 120 runs. The team struggled with the tricky pitch and had scored less than 200 runs by the start of the 44th over. However, Hope soon changed the pace of the innings by hitting multiple boundaries against Mohammad Nawaz. In the following overs, Pakistan completely lost "their momentum," with Hope (120-94) and Justin Greaves (43-24) exceeding the expected score of 250 runs. In the last deliveries, the Windies continued to add cushion numbers, posting a total score of 294 runs on the scoreboard.
"We had Ayub and Salman bowling. We thought Abrar would come and bowl. But Hope batted well and hence he didn't complete his overs," Pakistan's ODI captain Mohammad Rizwan stated
The team's trouble didn't stop there. Facing a massive 202-run defeat right after losing the second ODI in the series crushed Pakistan's hopes yet again. The men in green were dominated from the start and eventually succumbed to the pressure, unable to even cross the 100-run mark. They lost their top batters in the first three overs for scores of zero, including Rizwan.
Babar Azam, hopeful to turn the game back around, got dismissed at nine runs by 23-year-old Jayden Seales, who continued to be a force to be reckoned with on an already tricky pitch. By the 20th over, Pakistan lost six wickets and the following overs continued to collapse the remaining order.
Eventually, in 29.2 overs, Seales (6-18) and Gudakesh Motie (2-37) forced Pakistan to conclude their innings with just 92 runs. Salman Agha was the top scorer for the Pakistani side (30-49).
"It was very important for us to go deep. You want to set the tone in the power play. I wanted to give the team the best finish as well. We have struggled at times. We had 270-280 in mind. We had wickets in mind, wanted to capitalize," Hope stated in a post-match interview as the Caribbeans continue to chase "for automatic qualification for the 2027 World Cup."
On the other hand, Pakistan left the host turf with a historic loss, their fourth most significant loss in ODI history by runs. This loss highlights the current Pakistani team's lackluster state, especially against an opponent like the West Indies, which has struggled in all formats of cricket over the last few years and was certainly playing under more pressure. The Windies also carried the fatigue of the 2-1 T20I series loss against Pakistan earlier this month, but emerged with a gigantic and historic win.
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