By the time you read this, the second Test would have been decided and as things stand, 0-1, 1-1, and 0-2 - all three scorelines are possible heading into the final match at Rouseau that starts on Wednesday. Whatever the case might be, Pakistan would still be with at least a shout of winning their first ever Test series in the West Indies. That Pakistan are grinding towards glory is typical of this record-breaking Test side that Misbah has carved out over the past seven years.
As the curtain comes down on the illustrious careers of Misbah and Younis, they would want to go out with a bang
Azhar Ali is proving yet again why he would be a crucial pillar for the Pakistani Test side following Misbah and Younis’ retirement. He seems to have solved at least one half of Pakistan’s opening problem, but with Misbah and Younis gone, the team might need him to play in the middle order in the future. That depends on who Pakistan decide to rope in as Misbah and Younis’ replacement, but considering the sheer longevity of Pakistan’s troubles with opening batsman, there is a strong case to persist with Azhar up top.
Azhar’s partner, as things stand, is Ahmed Shehzad who in the first innings fell a couple short of nine lives normally associated with a cat. What is worrying is that after surviving two no-ball dismissals, another TV review and a dropped chance, he still could not carry on to make a three-figure score, eventually giving his wicket away. It is hard to imagine Ahmed Shehzad being the long-term solution to Pakistan’s opening slots, but with none of his direct competitors helping their cause, he might have done enough to be persisted with, especially considering the massive overhaul already in place post-Misbah and Younis.
Babar Azam fell cheaply in the first innings, but he undoubtedly is a big part of Pakistan’s future Test team. He has perhaps already made the number 3 position his own, unless the management wants to bring Azhar one down, Babar at four and Asad Shafiq at five.
Of all the places he has batted in, Shafiq averages the lowest in the West Indies as things stand. He is yet to come out and bat in the second Test, but as has been discussed in this space on many occasions, he along with Azhar would be the mainstay of Pakistani batting in the years to come. These two would be expected to take over from Misbah and Younis, regardless of their batting positions. Pakistan just need to hope that they can find talents who are as good as Azhar and Asad were as youngsters a few years ago, to complement the future backbone of Pakistani batting.
The bowling attack seems to be getting into shape as well for future assignments. Mohammed Amir and Yasir Shah have now established themselves as the pace and spin spearheads of the bowling lineup, with an impressive supporting cast for both for Pakistan to choose from.
Mohammad Abbas is a great find to add in Pakistan’s long line of pacers who can be mixed and matched depending on the conditions. While Shadab Khan didn’t quite explode on to the scene in Tests as he did in the limited-overs formats, he has all the tools to eventually take over from Yasir or play alongside him, especially in the UAE.
But as far as the here and the now is concerned, the third Test should be a continuation of pretty much what Pakistan have been doing on the tour so far. It would be the curtain call on the illustrious careers of Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan and they would want to go out with a bang. The rest of the team would be up for giving them the perfect sending off as well.