SHARJAH: West Indies, set a target of 153 to win, were 114-5 at close on the fourth day of the third and final Test against Pakistan in Sharjah on Wednesday.
Opener Kraigg Brathwaite was unbeaten on 44 and with him Shane Dowrich was 36 not out as West Indies need another 39 runs for victory with five wickets intact.
West Indies were set up for a consolation win after paceman Jason Holder took a career-best 5-30 and leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo grabbed 3-46 to dismiss Pakistan for 208 in their second innings.
Earlier, Pakistan collapsed in tragicomic fashion after lunch on day four, losing their last five wickets for 33 runs, including 3 for 4 in the space of 18 balls, to be bowled out for 208 and leave West Indies with a target of 153.
They then dropped Leon Johnson twice to allow West Indies’ openers put on an unbroken stand of 23 by tea.
Jason Holder took the last two wickets of Pakistan’s innings to claim his first five-wicket haul in Tests and put his team within sight of their first Test win under his captaincy. The slide began in the seventh over after lunch, when legspinner Devendra Bishoo had Mohammad Nawaz caught at short leg. He landed the ball on a good length in the rough outside the left-hander’s off stump and extracted just enough turn to pick up an inside edge to Johnson, who stuck out his left hand to take a sharp catch.
Bishoo’s next wicket came four overs later, when Azhar Ali, batting on 91, gifted his wicket away.
Seeing a liberally flighted delivery, Azhar started shaping for a sweep, before realising the ball was too far outside off for the shot.
Instead of leaving the ball alone, Azhar then offered a limp drive and only succeeded in guiding it to Darren Bravo at first slip.
Thirteen balls later, Mohammad Amir perished to one of the most entertaining run-outs conceivable to leave Pakistan in even greater trouble.
Wickets were now falling at increasingly short intervals; the next one came after four balls when Wahab Riaz turned a Holder delivery to Johnson at short leg, who took a remarkable reflex catch off the face of the bat.
Zulfiqar Babar then chipped in with a six and a four in a seven-ball 15 that took Pakistan past 200 and their lead past 150.
But Holder trapped Yasir Shah in front for a duck to conclude a breathless passage of play and collect figures of 5 for 30.
Pakistan lead the three-match series 2-0.—Agencies