The second Test between West Indies and Pakistan at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain has turned into exactly the kind of tense, low-scoring arm-wrestle that Caribbean pitches are famous for producing, and by the close of the third day it was still not clear which side held the upper hand. Pakistan, batting first, were bowled out for 387, a total built almost entirely around two big partnerships, before West Indies spinner Jomel Warrican produced a six-wicket haul that kept his side within touching distance of squaring the series.
Shafique and Babar set the platform
Abdullah Shafique’s 160 was the innings that gave Pakistan’s total its shape. The 26-year-old opener, who has struggled for consistency since his breakout years, batted for the better part of a full day, mixing patient defense against the second new ball with periodic bursts against anything short outside off. He was well supported by Babar Azam, who made 88 in a partnership that stretched beyond 150 runs and effectively took the game away from West Indies’ seamers in the middle session. Both dismissals came against Warrican, who found turn and bounce that the pace bowlers could not.
Warrican’s 6 for 112 turns the tide
Warrican’s figures of 6 for 112 were the difference between a total that looked like 450-plus and one that finished at 387 — a total that, on a pitch offering turn from day one, leaves the contest very much alive. The left-armer, who has quietly built a reputation as one of the more reliable spin options in West Indies cricket over the past three years, bowled long, patient spells either side of lunch, drawing mistimed shots from the middle and lower order after the top order had done the damage. It was the kind of workhorse performance that rarely draws headlines outside the scorecard but is often the reason Test matches stay competitive.
West Indies’ reply and the context of a bruising series
In response, West Indies were bowled out for 344 before slipping to 103 for 6 in their second innings, a rocky start that put Pakistan back in the ascendancy heading into the final two days. The context matters here: West Indies won the first Test at the Tarouba stadium by 90 runs, meaning a series win — something the hosts have not managed against Pakistan on home soil in years — is genuinely on the table if they can defend a small lead in the second innings. For a side that has endured a difficult run in the World Test Championship, a series victory over a traditional cricketing power would be a significant marker of progress under recent changes to team structure and coaching staff.
Two ways to read the match
Pakistan’s camp will point to the bowling attack’s inability to fully capitalize on early wickets and to Shafique’s return to form as the story of the match — evidence that the batting reshuffle since the tour began is paying off. West Indies’ management, by contrast, will emphasize Warrican’s control and the fact that their spin-heavy attack is competitive on home tracks against a strong touring side, even after conceding a big first-innings total. Both readings have merit, and the truth likely sits in between: this has been a tightly fought contest decided by moments rather than dominance from either side.
What’s next
The result of this Test will decide whether Pakistan salvage a drawn series or West Indies complete a rare home sweep against one of the sport’s more storied touring nations. Either way, the match adds fresh data points to both teams’ build-up toward busier assignments later this month — Pakistan head to England for a three-Test series starting August 19, while West Indies will look to carry momentum into their next home assignments as part of a broader push to rebuild their standing in the current World Test Championship cycle. Warrican, for his part, has strengthened his case to be considered West Indies’ first-choice spinner regardless of conditions, a status that matters heavily as the team plans its bowling combinations for the rest of the WTC cycle.