Pakistan 284 for 5 (Hasan Nawaz 63, Rizwan 53, Talat 41, Joseph 2-65) beat West Indies 280 (Lewis 60, Hope 55, Chase 53, Afridi 4-51, Naseem 3-55) by five wickets**
A composed, unbeaten 104-run stand between debutant Hasan Nawaz and Hussain Talat rescued Pakistan from a shaky position to secure a five-wicket win over West Indies in the first ODI at Tarouba, giving the visitors a 1-0 series lead.
Chasing 281, Pakistan wobbled after losing Mohammad Rizwan for 53 with more than 100 still needed. But Nawaz, dropped twice, settled in to post 63 not out, while Talat struck a fluent 41 off 37 balls, guiding the team home with seven balls to spare.
West Indies’ total of 280 had been built around three half-centuries – Evin Lewis (60), Shai Hope (55) and Roston Chase (53) – but Pakistan’s spinners tightened the screws through the middle overs. Shaheen Shah Afridi (4-51) and Naseem Shah (3-55) then polished off the innings in the final stages.
Pakistan’s reply began on a shaky note when Saim Ayub edged behind off Jayden Seales early. Babar Azam (47) and Abdullah Shafique rebuilt steadily, but both fell before converting their starts – Shafique undone by extra bounce from Shamar Joseph and Babar misreading Gudakesh Motie’s turn.
Rizwan’s fifty kept Pakistan in the hunt, yet his dismissal to Joseph left the lower order exposed. At 180 for 5, West Indies sensed an opening, but Nawaz and Talat shifted momentum in the 39th over as the dew made gripping the ball harder. Talat’s attacking strokes and a costly 17-run over from Joseph brought the required rate down, allowing Pakistan to control the chase from there.
Nawaz survived a sitter at short third when on 49, and moments later brought up his fifty. Talat’s 15-run burst in the penultimate phase put the result beyond doubt, Nawaz finishing it off with calm authority.
Earlier, Lewis and Keacy Carty (29) added 77 for the second wicket after Afridi’s customary early strike. But once spin was introduced in the eighth over, West Indies’ scoring rate slowed. Ayub, Salman Agha, and Sufiyan Muqeem bowled 27 of the next 28 overs, forcing mistakes and keeping the hosts in check.
Chase and Hope tried to lift the pace in a 64-run stand, but the return of Afridi and Naseem with the old ball brought reverse swing into play. Chase fell soon after reaching fifty, and the tail folded quickly under a barrage of yorkers. West Indies were dismissed in the 49th over, a total that looked competitive until Nawaz and Talat’s stand turned the tide for Pakistan.
