Gaji
Struggling hosts hope for series leveler
West Indies' joy after their win in the opportunity Twenty20 of Pakistan's tour was short-lived as they not working to an eight-wicket drubbing in the opening one-day global at Gros Islet. After the buzz and power of their performance in the Twenty20, the hosts looked badly behind the pace for much of the game on Saturday and a fatal misreading of the pitch backfire when the seamers were cart for 162 runs in 29.3 wicketless overs, allowing Pakistan's batsmen to canter to victory on a spin-friendly wicket.
Monday's game, played at the same venue, will give West Indies a chance to correct some of their mistakes. The question of team balance is a delicate one for them, however, and the inclusion of both Captain Darren Sammy and Dwayne Bravo when it might be argue that only one of the two similar all-rounders should slot in at No. 7 in a balanced XI throws the team's ballast off centre. West Indies looked a batsman light on Saturday, but it's likely that legspinner Anthony Martin will be bring in for the second ODI - almost certainly at the expense of allrounder Andre Russell - meaning that there will be even less bat firepower, heap more force on a top order shorn of its most practiced members.
The lack of bite in the seam attack on passive pitches also doesn't bode well for the Test series that follows the one-dayers, and for the sake of achievement in both formats West Indies are going to have to find a way to take more wickets. The one area of concern for Pakistan - and it's a moderately minor one for a team that has moved seamlessly on from beat in the tour opener with a commanding performance by both the batsmen and an inspiring trio of spinners - can also be found in the seam department. Wahab Riaz gave away 11 wides and three no-balls on Saturday, while Junaid Khan also sent down six wides, and with no the help of extras West Indies would not have passed 200.
Such variation is inexcusable on a pitch that offered minimal group for the quicks either through the air or off the pitch, but so masterful was the presentation from Pakistan's slow bowlers - in particular Saeed Ajmal, whose variation proved impossible to pick - and so composed were their batsmen, three of whom scored half-centuries, that eventually it barely mattered. West Indies will be aggravated to regain some pride and level the five-match series, but it is Pakistan who starts as firm favourites. .
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