AI Simulation, WI vs PAK | Shai Hope knock and Shamar Joseph spell ensure 2-1 series win for Windies

Yesterday at 10:20 PM

As per Chat GPT, West Indies will claim the three-match series after a tight nine-run win against Pakistan in the third ODI at the Brian Lara Stadium on August 12. While skipper Shai Hope led from the front with his half-century, Shamar Joseph stole the show with a crucial three-wicket spell.

‌Pitch and weather

Though there was some swing and seam movement for the pacers at the start of the game due to the overcast conditions, the pitch got easier for the batters as the game progressed.

There was a bit of cloud cover with the temperature hovering around 22 degrees Celsius but there were no interruptions due to rain in the game.

Toss

Pakistan won the toss and elected to bowl first.

Lineups

West Indies: Brandon King, Evin Lewis, Keacy Carty, Shai Hope (c/wk), Sherfane Rutherford, Roston Chase, Justin Greaves, Gudakesh Motie, Shamar Joseph, Jayden Seales, Jediah Blades.

Pakistan: Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (c/wk), Salman Agha, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed.

Match Report

Pakistan won the toss and put in West Indies to bat in the deciding fixture of the game. The West Indies openers started well with Brandon King and Evin Lewis negating the threat of extra bounce and seam movement at the start. The hosts were looking solid after the power play, with the score at 63/0 after the first 10 overs of the game. The duo were scoring runs fluently until King was dismissed by Abrar Ahmed for 44. After losing King, Keacy Carty formed a decent partnership along with Lewis as well, but threw his wicket away by trying to clear the mid-wicket boundary off Mohammad Nawaz. Despite the two wickets, Lewis, along with skipper Shai Hope, kept the runs flowing as the Caribbean boys were decently placed at 157/2 halfway into the innings. Lewis was finally dismissed by Naseem Shah in the 27th over for a well-made 58 off just 65 deliveries. Nevertheless, Hope continued to control the innings with some support from Sherfane Rutherford at the other end. The Men in Maroon were looking good at the crease with the score at 225/3 at the end of 40 overs, with a 300+ total firmly on the horizon. However, the Pakistani pacers dominated the death as Shaheen dismissed Shai Hope with a toe-crushing yorker, and Rutherford followed suit in the next over as he top-edged a brutal Naseem Shah bouncer which resulted in a simple catch to the keeper. Though Roston Chase and Jayden Seales tried to form a partnership with some explosive shots, Afridi returned in his final over to dismiss the two batters to complete his three-wicket haul. Only 62 runs thus came off the last 10 overs, but the Windies still ended on a competitive total of 287/8 at the end of their 50 overs.

Pakistan started their chase with the openers playing steady up top. Saim Ayub and Abdullah Shafique, with their cautious approach, managed to put on 52 runs in the power play. The game changed in the 12th over with Seales coming back and getting both openers out. However, Pakistan managed to make a comeback with modern-day icons Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan forming an important partnership to keep the chase alive, taking the Men in Green to a strong position of 155/2 after 25 overs. The visitors seemed to be in control until Gudakesh Motie came into the attack in the 28th over and got the important wicket of the Pakistan skipper, who ended up giving an easy catch to deep mid-wicket on a score of 54 off 48 deliveries. Yet, Babar managed to keep the game alive with Salman Agha rotating the strike at the other end to leave the visiting side needing 78 runs off the last 60 deliveries. Just when it looked like Pakistan might run away with the game, Motie returned for one final over and dismissed Agha. The situation became even more dire in the 45th over when Shamar Joseph struck twice, exposing the tail with wickets of Babar Azam and Hasan Nawaz and putting Pakistan in a tricky position with 55 needed off the last 30 deliveries. Though Nawaz tried to get the team closer to the target, he was running out of partners at the other end as Hussain Talat’s stumps were uprooted by Jediah Blades in the 47th over and Justin Greaves got the wicket of Afridi in the 49th. Joseph was given the final over with 19 runs to defend. Nawaz welcomed him with two boundaries off the first two deliveries but was dismissed after giving a simple catch to long-on on the very next ball. Only one run was conceded in the last three balls as West Indies claimed the three-match ODI series with a nine-run win.