It's anybody's game

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC):

West Indies snatched three wickets in 14 balls to blow the opening Test against Pakistan wide open, but then let the advantage slip as the match remained delicately balanced at the end of the third day yesterday.

Dismissed for a miserable 152 in their second innings to set Pakistan 219 to win, the Windies roared out of the blocks to reduce Pakistan to two runs for three wickets in the third over of the innings.

Seamer Ravi Rampaul grabbed two wickets in three balls in his first over while Kemar Roach claimed another, as Pakistan were plunged into strife at the National Stadium at Providence.

But Asad Shafiq, dropped before he had scored, stroked an unbeaten 40 and captain Misbah-ul-Haq supported with 34 not out, in an invaluable stand of 78 for the fourth wicket that allowed Pakistan to consolidate

Search of 139 more runs

They will go in search of a further 139 runs for victory on the fourth day, as they look to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.

Earlier, West Indies collapsed under the weight of off-spinner Saeed Ajmal's six-wicket haul after resuming the day on 34 for two.

Ajmal finished with six for 42 to end with match figures of 11 for 111, as the hosts collapsed to 104 for nine just after lunch.

They needed a superb rearguard action by veteran left-hander Shiv Chanderpaul and debutant Devendra Bishoo to see the lead past 200.

Chanderpaul, in typically gritty fashion, hit an unbeaten 36 from 127 balls and found an ally in the courageous Bishoo (24), to add a precious 48 for the last wicket.

It all went terribly wrong at the start of the day for the Windies as they sought to build on their 66-run first innings lead.

Nightwatchman Roach (3) went early with just one run added, leg before wicket (lbw) to the sixth ball of the day from Ajmal and was eventually sent on his way after inexplicably opting to review what was a clear lbw verdict.

Opener Lendl Simmons, unbeaten on 18 overnight, added just three before giving a sharp catch to Azhar Ali at short leg off left-arm seamer Wahab Riaz at 47 for four.

Ramnaresh Sarwan (11) and Chanderpaul looked set to stage a fightback, with the right-handed Sarwan collecting a sweetly timed off-side boundary to hint at something special.

Ajmal struck again

But Ajmal struck again, getting Sarwan to glove one that turned, to be caught by Asad Shafiq behind square and when vice-captain Brendan Nash was run out for three in a horrible mix up with Chanderpaul, West Indies were floundering at 74 for six.

Carlton Baugh struck one boundary in scoring seven before swinging Ajmal to Umar Akmal at mid-wicket, leaving Chanderpaul and captain Darren Sammy to attempt a rescue mission.

They got as far as 96 for seven at lunch but the carnage continued after the break, with Sammy falling in the second over, lbw to left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman for nine.

Rampaul lasted just 14 balls before popping a catch to Azhar Ali at short leg, to give Ajmal his tenth wicket of the game before Chanderpaul and Bishoo resisted stoutly.

There was not a single boundary for Chanderpaul but Bishoo struck two in facing 67 precious balls.

Dropped by Mohammad Hafeez at second slip off seamer Wahab Riaz when 15, he finally perished to Umar Akmal's juggling catch at first slip on the stroke of tea.

West Indies started in high gear when Rampaul trapped Taufeeq Umar lbw without scoring to the ninth ball of the innings with the score on two.

He then beat Azhar Ali outside off-stump with his first delivery before producing a gem of an away-swinger next ball, to have the right-hander caught behind.

In the next over, Roach jagged one back to trap Hafeez (2) in front but needed a referral to get the initial not-out decision reversed.

On the verge of implosion, Pakistan were given a lifeline when Darren Bravo put down Asad Shafiq at third slip, a straightforward chance after Rampaul had found the right-hander's outside edge.