Kavem Hodge's dogged unbeaten 83 and the support of Shai Hope in an unbroken fourth-wicket stand took the West Indies to 194 for three at the end of a rain-shortened first day of the first Test against Pakistan at the Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad on Saturday. Persistent rain allowed for just over an hour's play after West Indies captain Roston Chase won the toss and opted to bat.
Rain and Pitch Challenges
Test cricket's newest venue, the 13th in the Caribbean, offered a pitch which made free scoring difficult. The tourists' seam-based attack lacked the necessary firepower to compensate for the turgid surface. Hodge displayed the necessary application in four hours at the crease with only Mohammad Abbass' persistence presenting him with any significant challenges in an innings so far occupying 181 deliveries, embellished by nine boundaries.
West Indies' Steadying Partnership
Fresh from a century earlier in the month in the second and final Test against Sri Lanka in Antigua, Hope batted with calm assurance. His knock of 39 not out in partnership with Hodge took the home side from the unease of 106 for three in mid-afternoon. Pakistan's seam bowlers, with the notable exception of Jamal who conceded 54 runs in ten overs, kept the West Indies batsmen in check without appearing to be threatening.
Both teams were forced into unexpected changes ahead of the Test. In a surprise development, fast bowler Alzarri Joseph declined selection for the home side for personal reasons while Pakistan batsman Abdullah Fazal sustained a back injury ruling him out of this series and the subsequent campaign in England.
