West Indies v Pakistan, 2nd Test, Jamaica
15-Apr-2006
Pakistan completed their first Test victory in the Caribbean for 17 years on the final
morning to share the honours in this brief series. Lara produced another scintillating
hundred, Danish Kaneria mesmerised West Indies on the fourth evening, and Inzamamul-
Haq led the way for Pakistan on his return with crucial innings of 50 and 117 not
out. Yet everything else in the match may be forgotten before Courtney Browne's error
on the third afternoon. With Pakistan unsteady at 119 for three - only 89 in front -
Browne put down a straightforward catch offered first ball by Inzamam off Collymore,
who had already removed Shoaib Malik and Asim Kamal in the same over.
Inzamam made the most of his good fortune - which also involved being caught
behind off a no-ball when 92 - in grinding his way to a 22nd Test century that played
West Indies out of the match. It was a most unkind fate for Browne, an exemplary
player and team man. But that counted little to the media and public, who instantly
recalled his lapse on this same ground on his Test debut in 1994-95, that allowed Steve
Waugh to turn 42 into 200 and enabled Australia to claim the victory that ended West
Indies' 15-year unbeaten run in Test series. The strikes may have been ten years apart,
but lightning hit the same place and the same man twice.
The game had started calmly enough, with Younis Khan stroking an entertaining
106 to provide the foundation of a solid Pakistani total of 374. But at 247 for three,
they were set for far more before Collymore took over. On the ground where he had
devastated Sri Lanka with seven for 57 two years previously, he adhered religiously
to an off-stump line, snared six of the last seven wickets and returned figures of seven
for 78. An explosive innings by Gayle - 33 from 22 balls - proved deceptive, and at 59
for two Lara strode to the middle with anticipation in the air. His measured, assured
start was ominous for Pakistan, and it was with a sense of inevitability that he crafted
his 30th Test hundred - his fourth in five matches, and one that took him past Don
Bradman's tally of 29. As at Bridgetown, Lara singled out the leg-spin of Kaneria for
special treatment. Kaneria did remove Chanderpaul with the final ball of the second
day, but next morning was banned for the rest of the innings by umpire Hair for
following through down the middle of the pitch once too often. Shabbir Ahmed also
had his problems with running on the pitch, but it was his bowling action that continued
to cause comment, especially when he claimed Lara with a spiteful lifter with the
second new ball after a majestic 153.