By Prachi Mishra
Displaying a commanding performance, the West Indies sealed a memorable 2–1 victory in the ODI series against Pakistan, marking their first bilateral win over the Men in Green in 34 years (since 1991).
After the draw in the first two matches, the defining moment became the series decider at Brian Lara Stadium on Tuesday. The West Indies gave a 202 runs thumping that now stands as their largest ever margin of victory in an ODI against Pakistan.
Captain Shai Hope led the batting front with an unbeaten 120, while Jayden Seales took the bowling charge with a six wicket haul in the match. Following the brilliant win, Hope stated at the post-match conference, “It’s a special moment for us, breaking a drought that dates back decades. Credit to the whole squad for rising to the occasion.”
After being asked to chase 295 runs by their West Indian counterpart, Mohammad Rizwan’s Pakistan did not show any resilience from the very start with their batters leaving the crease immediately after taking stance. The entire team got bowled out for merely 92 runs, with Salman Agha (30) being their highest run scorer.
Pakistan’s reply centered on their bowling shortcomings. Captain Rizwan shared that their “fifth-bowler dilemma” and heavy reliance on part-time options proved costly, especially in cloudy, rain-interrupted conditions. “Saim didn’t have the best day today, but he’s shown glimpses before… ultimately, it didn’t click when it mattered,” Rizwan said.
Babar Azam, Pakistan’s batting star is struggling with his form after he once again failed to score big after being bowled by Seales at just 9 runs. Statistically, he has not scored a century from the past 72 innings in international cricket.
The series win is also a positive takeaway for the West Indies limited overs head coach Darren Sammy as the West Indian team was struggling with their performance after the recent loss against Australia.