The two came together with Pakistan three wickets down with only two runs on the board after Kemar Roach removed Abid Ali for 1 and Azhar Ali for a duck and Jayden Seales dismissed for Imran Butt for one by the end of the fourth over of the day.
Together they mounted a fightback putting on 158 runs for the fourth wicket before Alam, on 76, was forced to retire hurt from a leg injury with the score of 160-3.
Not long after, with the score on 168, Roach picked up his third wicket when he had Babar caught at slip by Jason Holder for 75.
The West Indies were unable to make any further breakthroughs as Mohammad Rizwan and Faheem Ashraf on 22 and 23, respectively saw Pakistan safely to stumps on 212-4 having stitched together a fifth-wicket stand of 44.
Kemar Roach was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3-49 from 17 overs. Seales took 1-25 from 11 overs.
On a grassy surface that offered bounce and pace to fast bowlers, South Africa bowled the West Indies out for scores of 97 and 162 while securing victory by an innings and 63 runs inside three days. South Africa made 322 in their only turn at-bat.
However, according to Roach, who took 2-64 from the 20 overs he bowled, said pitches like the one they played on will ultimately benefit the players in the region.
“I think the pitches benefit us in the long run, especially when we go on tours to South Africa and Australia where the bounce is a lot more,” Roach said.
“We wouldn’t be unfamiliar when we go to these countries. I think it’s good to have a pitch like this in the Caribbean we can prepare ourselves for these overseas tours.”
The bowler, who is a few days shy of his 33rd birthday, had a successful stint in May with Surrey in the English County Championship where he took 22 wickets at an average of 20.54. Among the 22 wickets were nine that he took in his final match against Middlesex.
He said the pitches he played on were different in nature to the one in St Lucia.
“Pitches don’t bounce much in England. There is a lot of movement because of the atmosphere and the amount of grass they put on the pitch,” he said, adding that he believes he and his teammates will need to adjust their game to suit the surface.
“The pitch in St Lucia bounced a lot more than I have seen in a while. It reminds me of a wicket in Australia or probably South Africa, so it’s about us adapting. It’s about taking on the challenge and trying to be as positive as we can.”
The West Indies will see how much they have adjusted to the St Lucia pitch when the second Betway Test begins on Friday.
So claims West Indies Captain Kraigg Brathwaite on the eve of the second Test in the Betway series as the home side looks to pull off another victory that would see them win the series 2-0.
Mayers, the hero of the Bangladesh series in February, has had a lean time with the bat since the Sri Lanka series in March.
In his last three Tests, the Barbadian all-rounder has had scores of 1, 12, 12, 34, 0 and 0. Bonner, meantime, has had an even leaner spell with scores of 0, 12, 0, and 5.
To compound matters, he was hit on the helmet first ball in the second Test against South Africa and was substituted under the sport’s concussion protocols.
Still, Captain Kraigg Brathwaite believes both players are eager to get back out in the middle and deliver the goods for the home side that desperately needs better performances from its batsmen.
“The guys are very confident and they are looking forward to the challenge,” he told members of the media in a pre-match press conference in Kingston.
“Obviously, they didn’t get the scores in the last couple of innings but the guys are raring to go, to be honest. We had a good session today and yesterday. As batters, number one to 11, we all know our jobs. The guys are really excited and can’t wait.
“The guys are really looking forward to the challenge. It’s Test cricket. It’s never easy and you got to work and you got to work hard and they’re willing to put in the work in this second Test.”
That said, Brathwaite believes patience will be key to the success of his batsmen against the quality Pakistan bowling attack spearheaded by the likes of Shaheen Afridi and Hasan Ali, who between them took 12 of the 19 West Indies wickets to fall in the first Test.
“We saw how Pakistan bowled and how the pitched played and they were constantly on a line and length and so as batters, I believe who has the most patience will come out on top,” the captain said.
“As a group, we have had a few chats about it and we do believe that patience is the key in Test cricket, regardless, patience is always the key.”
After West Indies won the toss and chose to bat on a grassy pitch, Ngidi playing in his 10th Test match took 5-19 as he tore through the West Indies middle-order that was left exposed after Nortje (4-35) claimed the wickets of both openers – Shai Hope and Kraigg Brathwaite, who each made 15.
Kagiso Rabada removed Nkrumah Bonner for 10 and Nortje took the wicket of Kyle Mayers for 1 to leave the home side 48 for 4 at lunch.
On the resumption, South Africa wrapped up the rest of the West Indies batting as only Jason Holder, 20, and Rahkeem Cornwall, 13, provided any resistance to the accurate South African attack.
The West Indies troubles were compounded by news that Bonner, who was struck on the helmet, the first ball he faced bowled by Nortje, has suffered a concussion and will take no further part in the match. He will be replaced by Kieran Powell.
The squad is expected to be whittled down to 13 by Monday, June 7.
Fast bowler Jayden Seales is a first-time inclusion in the West Indies provisional squad for a Test Series. Hope had scores of 79 and 106 in the just-concluded BestvBest intra-squad match while Powell scored a patient 95 as his side marched towards victory. Meanwhile, Captain Kraigg Brathwaite, Alzarri Joseph and Kemar Roach have also been included having recently returned from stints playing County Cricket in England.
The two-match Betway Test Series will be played at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground for the Sir Vivian Richards Trophy on June 10-14 and June 18-22. These are the final matches in the current cycle of the ICC World Test Championship with both teams trying to finish higher in the final championship table.
The 17-man squad comprises Kraigg Brathwaite (Captain), Jermaine Blackwood (Vice-Captain), Nkrumah Bonner, Darren Bravo, Roston Chase, Rahkeem Cornwall, Joshua Da Silva, Shannon Gabriel, Jahmar Hamilton, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Kyle Mayers, Kieran Powell, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales and Jomel Warrican.
According to CWI, fast bowler Chemar Holder was unavailable due to injury while 19-year-old. The selectors have also revealed that four other young fast bowlers Keon Harding, Preston McSween, Marquino Mindley and Nial Smith will remain in St. Lucia to assist the Test squad with their preparations.
Meanwhile, Nkrumah Bonner, who was struck on the head during the first match that the West Indies lost by an innings and 63 runs inside three days, remains unavailable due to concussion protocols. Alzarri Joseph has also failed to break into the squad following his short stint playing in England.
“Shannon Gabriel has been declared fully fit and as someone who was the spearhead of the attack before, he has returned to the 13-man squad. With Bravo, we have someone who is an experienced batsman and gives us a quality batting option,” said CWI Chief Selector Roger Harper, who said the team has to significantly improve on its performance from the last Test in which the West Indies were bowled out for scores of 97 and 162 against a disciplined and incisive South African attack.
“The team now has to play to the standard we know we’re capable of. We didn’t bat anywhere near to our potential in the first Betway Test and we have to improve with the bat in this upcoming match.”
The full squad is Kraigg Brathwaite (Captain), Jermaine Blackwood (Vice-Captain), Darren Bravo, Roston Chase, Rahkeem Cornwall, Joshua Da Silva, Shannon Gabriel, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Kyle Mayers, Kieran Powell, Kemar Roach and Jayden Seales.
The second Betway Test Match bowls off on Friday, June 18 at 10 am (9 am Jamaica Time) at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground. The series will be contested for the Sir Vivian Richards Trophy.
