TAROUBA: Pakistan Captain Babar Azam came under criticism despite scoring an unbeaten 58 in the second innings of the opening Test against the West Indies, with questions raised over his approach during Pakistan’s unsuccessful chase of 211.
Babar was forced to bat as early as the third over after first-innings centurion Shan Masood was unable to open because of a finger injury.
Pakistan quickly lost Imam-ul-Haq, Azan Awais and Salman Ali Agha, slipping to 25-3 before Babar and Mohammad Rizwan briefly steadied the innings with a 19-run fourth-wicket partnership.
Following Rizwan’s dismissal at 46-4, expectations were that Babar, as the senior batter, would dominate the strike to protect the lower order.
Instead, critics pointed to his frequent singles that left his batting partners to face the West Indies bowlers, as wickets continued to fall at regular intervals.
The same pattern continued during partnerships with Aamir Jamal, debutant Ali Usman, and later with the injured Shan Masood, with Babar often remaining at the non-striker’s end.
Even when batting alongside No. 9 Khurram Shahzad and No. 10 Mohammad Ali, Babar allowed the tailenders to face most of the deliveries, drawing criticism over his strike rotation.
Babar remained unbeaten on 58 off 107 balls, hitting nine boundaries, but his innings failed to prevent Pakistan’s collapse.
By the 29th over, Pakistan had slumped to 71-9 before Babar and Mohammad Abbas added 49 runs for the final wicket. Abbas contributed 23 off 33 balls, while Babar scored 21 from 41 deliveries during the stand.
Pakistan were eventually bowled out well short of the target, handing the West Indies a 90-run victory in the first Test. While Babar’s half-century stood out on the scorecard, his tactical approach during the chase sparked debate among fans and cricket analysts.
Meanwhile, Pakistan red-ball head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed expressed disappointment over his team’s performance in the opening Test against the West Indies and hinted at changes to the playing XI for the second match.
Speaking at a post-match press conference, Sarfaraz said Pakistan’s batting let the team down, particularly in the second innings, where the batting lineup has repeatedly failed to capitalize on opportunities.
He said Pakistan should have secured a first-innings lead, adding that opener Imam-ul-Haq was batting well but needed to show greater patience to help the team gain an advantage.
Sarfaraz also pointed to the 61-run partnership for the West Indies’ eighth wicket on the third day as a turning point, saying the stand should not have been allowed, especially when conditions were favorable for the fast bowlers.
“We read the pitch correctly, which is why we went into the match with five bowlers,” he said. “We are hopeful of making a strong comeback in the second Test.”
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When asked about possible team changes, Sarfaraz said middle-order batter Saud Shakeel and opener Abdullah Shafique are in contention for selection, but the final decision will depend on the match
