West Indies vs Pakistan 2013: 5th ODI - Five talking points

Pakistan won the five-match series 3-1

West Indies crashed to yet another series defeat at home in 2013 after Pakistan won the last encounter of the five-match series to post a convincing 3-1 victory.

This was the third successive bilateral away series that Pakistan won but the more immediate context of eviction at group stage from the Champions Trophy emphasizes the importance of this achievement. Their performance was deeply flawed, but they were better than their opponents by a clear margin.

West Indies gradually improved in all departments throughout the series, but they fell short against the consistency and grit of Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq.

Pakistan’s captain scored another critical innings in the last match, scoring 63 runs when wickets were falling at the other end. He was dismissed when a single run was required as he tried to casually hit the winning runs.

Earlier, Pakistan had won the toss and put West Indies in to bat first. After the early dismissals of Devon Smith and Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels and Johnson Charles steadied the ship but Md. Irfan struck a couple of times to ensure that West Indies were restricted to a score of 242 despite the late exploits of captain Dwayne Bravo.

Pakistan made a steady start to the chase as Ahmed Shehzad scored his first substantial innings in the series. After the dismissal of Md. Hafeez, Pakistan were able to build valuable partnership as Misbah-ul-Haq dropped anchor at one end. Umar Akmal played a characteristic knock when a greater run rate was required. Shahid Afridi blasted a couple of boundaries to finish the job.

Here are five talking points that were generated from the game and this series:

5. Junaid Khan’s potential

Junaid Khan

The left-handed bowler picked up key-top order wickets in the match finishing with 3/48 in his 10 overs. Pakistan has been the traditional home of great swing bowlers, and they continue to produce new and exciting talent.

Junaid Khan finished with an impressive return of 7 wickets in the last 3 matches that he played a part in. His ability to make the new ball talk is all the more impressive because of the threat the in-dipping ball poses to the right-handed batsmen, bringing in the leg-before wicket dismissal into play.

He is not liable to drifting onto the pads of the batsmen which is a rare quality attained only by exercising control over the swing. He was, thus, one of the more economical bowlers during the season, going under 5 runs an over.

4. Narine’s underwhelming performance

Sunil Narine

Pakistan assessed the circumstances of the chase and batted cautiously against the spin of Sunil Narine as he failed to penetrate the batting line-up yet again, finishing wicket-less although conceding only 42 runs in his allotted 10 over.

Sunil Narine picked a 4-wicket haul in the second match of the series but was unable to take any more wickets in the series. His record in home conditions suggests the extent to which this West Indian side depends upon his wicket-taking abilities, but the sub-continent teams that have toured recently have exhibited the ability to read his variations.

Narine needs to expand his repertoire of deliveries or work on a consistently deployed stock delivery in order to become a greater threat or he would be sidelined as another mystery spinner whose star declined with a diminishing novelty.

3. Chris Gayle‘s failure

Chris Gayle

Chris Gayle is a proven match-winner but his form in national colours continues to disappoint. He averages 12.0 in his last 8 innings and the fact that most of these failures came while he occupied the opening slot at the top of the innings make the failures all the more glaring.

He was demoted to the middle-order in the 4th ODI, and he responded with a decent contribution of 30 runs but that was followed by yet another failure. He has been included in the T20 side but if his dismal form continues, the selectors might have to take a harsh decision given his poor performance.

2. Positives for Pakistan

Mohammad Irfan

There have been a number of positives for Pakistan in this series even though some flaws remain. The pace battery performed reasonably well in conditions that were not ideally suited to them.

Md. Irfan was consistently good finishing with 9 wickets in 5 matches as the second-highest wicket taker in the series, taking one less than Shahid Afridi’s 10. Saeed Ajmal enjoyed another good series picking up 8 wickets at a miserly economy rate of below 4.50 runs per over.

Misbah-ul-Haq continues to face flak for his unattractive style of play, but the fact is that he has held together the batting department when it was crumbling. Shahid Afridi’s return was marked by a single match-winning performance, but his effectivity as a spin bowler means that he should definitely be a part of the setup as Pakistan plan ahead for the 2015 World Cup.

1. Misbah’s consistency

Misbah-ul-Haq

The Pakistan captain was given standing ovation by the dressing room as he walked off the field after scoring a match-winning knock of 63 runs. It was an important gesture as his popularity back home has been a concern.

He has the tendency to go into his shell when wickets are falling around him as he prioritises the conservation of his wicket in order to stem the meltdown. His strike-rate during this five-match series in which he scored 260 runs at an average of 65, finishing as the highest run-scorer, was just above 60 and while that might not be a stat to be proud of, it was something that was definitely required in the circumstances.

He has lead the team from the front and has ensured that he won’t be sidelined so easily in the disturbingly frequent shuffle of Pakistan cricket.