Andre Russell’s sparkling all-round performance helped West Indies deal a crushing blow to Pakistan’s 2015 World Cup campaign with a huge 150-run defeat in Pool B.
Russell bludgeoned a 13-ball 42 after Dinesh Ramdin and Lendl Simmons scored half-centuries to fire the West Indies to 310 for 6 at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Saturday.
Jerome Taylor decimated Pakistan’s top order leaving them teetering at 1/4 at one stage, a team’s worst ever start in an ODI, before Umar Akmal, Sohaib Maqsood and Shahid Afridi put up some resistance.
But Man of the Match Russell returned 3-33 to help the Caribbeans to their biggest ever win over Pakistan in ODIs to revitalize their World Cup campaign after a poor start.
The previous lowest score in a one-day international for the loss of four wickets was the four runs scored by Canada against Zimbabwe in 2006.
Both teams had lost their opening matches in the tournament with Pakistan falling to India in Adelaide and West Indies, the 1975 and 1979 champions, succumbing to Ireland in Nelson, New Zeland.
Taylor struck with his second ball of the innings when Nasir Jamshed mishit a hook to Andre Russell at mid-wicket and his sixth which Younus Khan edged to wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin.
Haris Sohail became the third batsman to fall for a duck when he scooped the final ball of Taylor’s second over to substitute Jonathan Carter at point.
Holder dismissed Ahmed Shehzad for one with the first ball of his second over, caught by Lendl Simmons in the gully.
Dropped catches by Darren Sammy and Chris Gayle helped Pakistan mount some sort of recovery through Sohaib Maqsood (50) and Umar Akmal (59) before the remainder of the batting was swept aside.
Pakistan were eventually dismissed for 160 off 39 overs.
The 1992 world champions had restricted West Indies to 195 for four at the 40 over-mark after Gayle’s indifferent form continued when he was caught for four and Darren Bravo was forced to retire hurt on 49 after he injured his left hamstring.
Bravo took no further part in the match and was taken to hospital for an MRI scan.
Wicketkeeper Ramdin accelerated the scoring rate with 51 including seven boundaries and Simmons, a hero in a losing cause with 102 against Ireland, carried on where he had left off by lofting the first two sixes of the innings.
Russell ensured West Indies would set a challenging total by smiting three sixes in an over to finish unbeaten on 42 while Simmons was run out off the last ball of the innings for 50.
Pakistan did not help their cause with sloppy fielding and three dropped catches, two of them simple chances to their former captain Shahid Afridi on the leg-side.
Source: New Age
