Babar Azam’s Pakistan just snapped a brutal three-year drought, picking up their first away Test win since July 2023 with an eight-wicket victory over the West Indies in Port of Spain on Wednesday. This wasn’t just any win, either, it saved them from a series defeat, tying things up 1-1 after the West Indies had taken the first Test by 90 runs. Talk about coming up big when it mattered most.
The Chase That Ended a Streak
Pakistan came into Day 4 needing to chase down just 75 runs, and they got it done right after the first session, finishing at 77/2. Abdullah Shafique, who crushed a century in the first innings, remained unbeaten on 24, and Captain Babar Azam matched him, also finishing 24 not out. Before that, Pakistan’s bowlers absolutely dismantled the West Indies for 117 in their second innings on a tricky Queen’s Park Oval pitch. Off-spinner Sajid Khan bagged 4/32, and left-arm spinner Ali Usman grabbed 4/39, with the duo splitting eight wickets. The West Indies started the day on 106/3 with a 60-run lead, but their lower order crumbled. Ali Usman got Kemar Roach and Shamar Joseph, and Justin Greaves, their last recognized batter, could only add two runs before Mohammad Ali bowled him. To make things worse for the West Indies, opener Brandon King was out with a back injury from Day 3, the same injury he got after running out Babar Azam. Ouch.
Three Years of Road Pain Is Finally Over
This win is massive, ending Pakistan’s eight-match losing streak in away Tests. It’s been a tough road since their last away victory in July 2023 against Sri Lanka, also under Babar Azam’s captaincy. Since then, Pakistan has seen multiple changes in coaches, selectors, and even captains, with Babar stepping down from the role twice. We saw Shan Masood’s tenure as captain, which included brutal 3-0 loss in Australia, 2-0 in South Africa, and another 2-0 in Bangladesh. Masood got removed after that run. Babar came back, but Pakistan lost the first Test against the West Indies, extending their away losing streak to eight straight. But they bounced back hard in Port of Spain. This time, the combination of Babar Azam and head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed got them back to winning overseas.
This win isn’t just a notch in the belt, either. Pakistan now sits at eighth in the World Test Championship with 22.22% of points after two wins and four defeats in six matches, pushing the West Indies down to ninth with 20.83%. It’s a huge step for Babar Azam and Sarfaraz Ahmed’s squad as they look to build on this momentum after avoiding a series defeat. This team finally knows what it feels like to win on the road, and you gotta feel good about that.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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