WI vs PAK 2025, 1st ODI Review: Shaheen Afridi, batters shine as Pakistan go 1-0 up in three-match series

Pakistan went 1-0 up in the three-match series by winning the first ODI at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba, Trinidad, on Saturday, August 9.

Mohammad Rizwan won the toss and bowled first on a tricky surface at the picturesque venue. The returning Shaheen Shah Afridi struck in the first over, as he sent Brandon King packing. Evin Lewis and Keacy Carty kept the scoreboard moving, with the former being the more aggressive of the two batters.

They added 77 runs off just 81 deliveries for the second wicket before Carty was dismissed by Sufiyan Muqeem for a 39-ball 30. From the 18th to the 34th over, Rizwan used his spin troika of Saim Ayub, Sufiyan Muqeem, and Salman Agha to choke the flow of runs. The West Indies batters failed to build momentum, despite Lewis' 62-ball 60.

Shai Hope dropped anchor and tried to take the West Indies to a big score. However, Sherfane Rutherford couldn't make much of an impact. Roston Chase and Hope added a 64-run stand off 89 balls to give the West Indies a decent foundation. However, they would have wanted to be a bit more proactive at the crease.

Hope was dismissed by a brilliant slower delivery from Shaheen after he had scored 55 off 77 balls. Chase also slammed 53 off 54 deliveries but couldn't hang around till the end. The wickets of set batters before the death overs hampered the West Indies' chances of finishing strongly. Gudakesh Motie batted well for his 18-ball 31, but Shaheen and Naseem Shah used reverse swing to good effect to bowl out the hosts for 280 in 49 overs.

This ODI was played under the new rules, with only one ball being used after the 34th over. Pakistani pacers used this to their advantage and got prodigious reverse swing with the old ball at the back end of the first innings. Shaheen finished with figures of 4/51 in eight overs. On the other hand, Naseem bagged 3/55 in his eight-over spell.

Pakistan batters chip in with crucial contributions

In reply, Pakistan lost the wicket of Saim Ayub in the third over. However, Abdullah Shafique and Babar Azam steadied the ship with a sedate 47-run stand off 54 balls. Shamar Joseph ended the partnership when he dismissed Shafique for a 33-ball 29.

Rizwan joined forces with Babar, and the veteran duo continued to take the tourists towards the target by playing according to the situation's demand. They mixed caution with aggression and kept chipping away at the target.

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Babar missed his half-century by just three runs as Motie got the better of him. Agha got himself off to a start but was out caught and bowled for a 26-ball 23. When Rizwan was dismissed for a 69-ball 53 in the 38th over, Pakistan needed 101 runs with five wickets in the bank.

Hasan Nawaz and Hussain Talat showed a lot of maturity to forge an unbeaten stand of 104 runs off 69 balls to take Pakistan home with seven balls to spare. While Nawaz made 63* off 54 balls, Talat finished on 41* off 37 deliveries.