Two days into the series decider at Queen’s Park Oval, Pakistan have turned a match that looked to be slipping away into a genuine contest, thanks to an unbroken 168-run stand between Abdullah Shafique and Babar Azam. At stumps on day two, Pakistan stood at 266 for 2, just 78 runs behind West Indies’ first-innings 344, with Shafique unbeaten on 107 off 185 balls and Babar closing in on his own hundred on 86 not out from 126 deliveries.
A Series Levelled at 0-0, and Everything to Play For
With the two-match series tied after the first Test, this final game in Trinidad carries outsized weight. West Indies had the better of the opening exchanges, bowling Pakistan’s top order under pressure before being bowled out themselves for 344 shortly before lunch on day two — a total built through gritty middle-order resistance rather than dominance. Pakistan’s response, though, has been the story of the match so far: a top-order collapse threatened early, only for Shafique and Babar to bat through session after session without alarm.
Shafique’s Rebirth at Number Three
Shafique’s century — his sixth in Test cricket and first since 2024 — arrived in an unfamiliar batting slot. Moved up to number three after Imam-ul-Haq’s early dismissal, the 25-year-old opener adapted instantly, mixing watchful defence with periodic bursts through the off side; his 185-ball vigil included ten fours and two sixes. For a player whose place in the side had come under scrutiny after a lean run, the innings is a timely reminder of the class that first announced him as a Test-match batter.
Babar Azam Closing In on a Long-Awaited Hundred
Just as significant is the sight of Babar Azam within sight of three figures. The former Pakistan captain has not registered a Test century in four years, a drought that has fuelled persistent debate at home about his place in the longer format even as he remains the team’s most recognisable batter. His 126-ball innings, laced with ten fours and a six, has been assured rather than frantic — the innings of a batter rediscovering rhythm rather than manufacturing it under pressure.
How West Indies Set the Platform
West Indies’ first-innings 344 leaned heavily on their middle order after early inroads from Pakistan’s new-ball attack. All-rounder Justin Greaves again proved his side’s most reliable presence with the bat, steadying successive middle-order wobbles, while contributions further down the order stretched the total beyond what looked likely at various points on day one. Pakistan’s bowlers, led by their spin department, chipped away — Noman Ali in particular has been among the wickets throughout the tour — but could not prevent West Indies posting a total that, on a used Queen’s Park Oval surface, was always going to require a substantial reply.
The Bigger Picture: Pakistan’s Away Struggles
The context matters. Pakistan have endured a torrid run in overseas Tests in recent seasons, and a below-par batting effort here would have compounded that narrative heading into a home stretch of matches later this year. Instead, the Shafique-Babar stand represents exactly the kind of application coach and selectors have been demanding — application over adventure, and a refusal to gift wickets on a pitch that, while flatter than day one suggested, still offers something to bowlers who hit the right lengths.
What’s Next as Day Three Beckons
With two new batters unbeaten and the deficit down to double figures, Pakistan will resume day three eyeing not just parity but a genuine first-innings lead. A substantial cushion would put real pressure on a West Indies attack that has bowled long spells without the returns to show for it, and could set up a grandstand finish to a series that has already produced two closely fought Tests. For West Indies, the equation is straightforward: early wickets on day three are essential to prevent Pakistan batting themselves out of sight and to keep alive hopes of a home series win that would rank among their most significant results of the current World Test Championship cycle. Whichever way the match turns, Port of Spain has already delivered the kind of tense, fluctuating cricket that decider Tests are supposed to produce, and a result here will have real bearing on both sides’ standing in the WTC table.