Pakistan build commanding lead over West Indies

Openers Azhar Ali and Sami Aslam hit half-centuries to help Pakistan strengthen their grip on the third day of the second Test against West Indies in Abu Dhabi yesterday.
Ali was unbeaten on 52 and Asad Shafiq five not out as Pakistan reached 114-1 at stumps, increasing their lead to 342 after dismissing West Indies for 224 in their first innings.
That had given Pakistan a first innings lead of 228 and left them firmly in control as they look to claim an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
Pakistan won the first Test — a day-night affair played with a pink ball — by 56 runs to take a 1-0 advantage.
But despite the West Indies falling 29 runs short of avoiding the follow-on, Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq decided not to enforce it and batted again.
Both Ali and Aslam survived leg-before decisions through referrals after on-field umpire Michael Gough had raised his finger on both occasions.
Gough has now seen four of his decisions overturned in the match with fellow English umpire Richard Illingworth forced to change his initial verdict three times.
Aslam was finally dismissed when he was caught behind off paceman Shannon Gabriel for 50, although only after West Indian captain Jason Holder called for a review.
Pakistan will look to stretch their lead even further to leave the West Indies up against it on a wearing fourth and fifth day pitch at Sheikd Zayed Stadium.
Earlier, West Indies added just 118 to their overnight score before they were bowled out at tea with Pakistani leg-spinner Yasir Shah taking 4-86.
Holder (31) and Gabriel (13) frustrated Pakistan with a 27-run last wicket stand before Shah took the final wicket of Gabriel, caught at mid-on to end the innings. “We are in a commanding position,” said Shah. “We know the pitch will help spinners from tomorrow onwards so if we get a lead of 500 then we can press for a win.
“It was good to get four wickets but I was facing a bit of difficulty after bowling with the pink ball in the first Test and then switching to red here.”

Scorecard
Pakistan first innings 452
(Younis Khan 127, Misbah-ul-Haq 96; S. Gabriel 5-96)
West Indies first innings
(overnight 106-4)
L. Johnson lbw b Rahat  12
D. Bravo lbw b Shah  43
K. Brathwaite run out  21
M. Samuels c Aslam b Rahat  30
D. Bishoo b Sohail  20
J. Blackw’d c Ahmed b Rahat  8
R. Chase c Shafiq b Shah  22
S. Hope b Shah  11
J. Holder not out  31
M. Cummins b Sohail  3
S. Gabriel c Sohail b Shah  13
Extras: (b2, lb7, nb1)  10
Total: (all out; 94.4 overs)  224
Fall of wickets: 1-27 (Johnson), 2-65 (Bravo), 3-106 (Samuels), 4-106 (Brathwaite), 5-121 (Blackwood), 6-144 (Bishoo), 7-169 (Chase), 8-178 (Hope), 9-197 (Cummins)
Bowling: Rahat 21-8-45-3, Sohail 19-8-35-2, Babar 21-6-39-0, Shafiq 1-0-2-0, Shah 28.4-6-86-4, Nawaz 4-1-8-0 (1nb)

Pakistan second innings
Sami Aslam c Hope b Gabriel  50
Azhar Ali not out  52
Asad Shafiq not out  5
Extras: (b4, lb1, nb2)  7
Total: (for one wkt; 39 ovrs)  114
To bat: Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Sarfraz Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Yasir Shah, Sohail Khan, Zulfiqar Babar, Rahat Ali
Fall of wicket: 1-93 (Aslam)
Bowling: Gabriel 8-1-21-1 (2nb), Cummins 3-0-5-0, Brathwaite 13-2-27-0, Bishoo 12-0-45-0, Holder 3-0-11-0