Greaves and Chase Rescue West Indies as Pakistan Miss Abbas on Day 1 of 2nd Test

West Indies ended Day 1 of the 2nd Test on 239/5 at Queen’s Park Oval, Port of Spain. Justin Greaves is unbeaten on 64. Roston Chase is 36 not out. An unbroken sixth-wicket stand of 66 gave West Indies control they did not fully deserve after Pakistan’s spinners had them under pressure for most of the day.

Mohammad Abbas did not play. Babar Azam left his most reliable bowler out based on conditions. West Indies capitalised on exactly the situations Abbas was built for.

Day 1 Scorecard — West Indies 1st Innings

Yet to bat: Kemar Roach, Shamar Joseph, Jomel Warrican, Jayden Seales

Fall: 1-49 (Chanderpaul 9.5) 2-65 (King 16.4) 3-91 (Hodge 25.4) 4-120 (Jangoo 35.1) 5-173 (Hope 50.4)

Pakistan Playing XI

Azan Awais, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Agha, Awais Zafar, Ali Usman, Sajid Khan, Ubaid Shah, Mohammad Ali

The Abbas Decision — Babar’s Biggest Call of the Series

Babar Azam dropped Mohammad Abbas for the 2nd Test citing conditions. Queen’s Park Oval is a spinning surface so the decision had logic behind it on paper.

In practice it backfired.

Abbas bowled 9-72 across both innings of the 1st Test. His economy of 1.07 in the second innings was the best of any bowler in the match. He controls length, hits the seam and keeps runs dry from one end while spinners apply pressure from the other. That combination was absent all day at Queen’s Park.

When Greaves and Chase settled in the final session Pakistan had no Abbas to turn to. Ubaid Shah went for 56 in 9 overs. The spinners had done their job but had no partner to close the game out.

Babar explained the omission post-stumps: “It’s down to conditions.” The result of that call sits at 239/5.

How the Day Unfolded — Session by Session

Morning — Rain Interruption Then King’s Brisk Start

West Indies won the toss and elected to bat. Rain arrived immediately — the first ball came after a wet ground delay. When play finally started Brandon King attacked from the first over. He reached 33 before rain forced early lunch at 49/1 after 9.5 overs.

Chanderpaul was the wicket — Mohammad Ali had him hooking to fine leg off the last ball before the interruption. One wicket from the morning session but King’s 46 off 50 balls had already set a dangerous tone.

Middle Session — Pakistan’s Spinners Take Over

The pitch changed character after lunch. Ali Usman and Sajid Khan operated in tandem and the surface gripped and turned. Pakistan took three wickets in this session.

Ali Usman’s review to dismiss King was canny — the ball landed on leg and jagged past the outside edge. Three reds confirmed. King gone for 46. Sajid Khan had Hodge glove one off a sweep to Rizwan behind the stumps — another review confirmed it. Pakistan were in full control at 91/3.

Hope and Jangoo steadied West Indies. A six over cover from Hope announced his intent. Ubaid Shah came on and immediately gave Jangoo an easy flick to fine leg that kissed the inside edge through to the keeper. Ubaid’s debut wicket came cheaply but his figures across the day tell a harder story.

Final Session — Pakistan Let the Game Slip

Hope dragged Mohammad Ali onto his stumps for 29. West Indies 173/5. Chase walked in. One wicket separated Pakistan from the tail.

They never got it.

Chase dug in. Greaves kept scoring. Pakistan turned to Ubaid for pace but his first delivery to Greaves was over-pitched and dispatched through the covers. His pace had dropped. The spell lasted two overs and cost 15 runs.

The spinners came back but the pitch had eased. By the time bad light ended play at 74 overs West Indies had added 66 without loss in the final passage and Greaves had reached his half century off 92 balls. Pakistan ended the day needing a reset.

Greaves — Player of the Day Again

Justin Greaves took 5-27 in the 1st Test first innings and now bats unbeaten on 64 in the 2nd Test. He is the standout player of this series for West Indies.

His 64 from 125 balls was controlled rather than aggressive — 8 fours, no sixes. He absorbed pressure during the middle session when Pakistan’s spinners were turning the ball, then took the dominant role once the pitch flattened out. Greaves dispatches over-pitched deliveries through the covers consistently. Pakistan have not found an answer for that shot across two days of this series.

Ubaid Shah’s Difficult Test Debut

Ubaid Shah made his Test debut at Queen’s Park Oval. The figures — 9 overs, 0 maidens, 56 runs, 1 wicket — do not reflect a good start.

He bowled one down leg first ball of his second spell. His pace dropped noticeably in the final session. Greaves hit him through the covers twice off over-pitched deliveries without taking a risk.

The wicket of Jangoo was a genuine delivery. The rest of his spell gave West Indies cheap runs at exactly the moment Pakistan needed to hold them down. Debutants get benefit of the doubt. The pitch at Queen’s Park is not easy for pace. But Ubaid will need to show more control on Day 2.

Babar Azam’s Captaincy — The Field Placement Debate

Two specific tactical decisions drew criticism during Day 1.

Babar was slow to place a third slip when new batters came in. West Indies’ top order had time to play themselves in without the pressure of a catching cordon that reflected the seaming early conditions. Commentator Ian Bishop pointed it out during the broadcast.

Babar also kept long-on back for spinners against lower-order batters who were looking to attack. Defensive field placements for attacking batters allow them to rotate strike and score through gaps that should have fielders in them. Chase and Greaves both benefited from this approach in the final session.

Pakistan’s DRS usage also came under scrutiny. One review was used on a delivery that replays suggested was clearly not out. Pakistan used four reviews across the day and need to manage them more carefully with Roach, Joseph, Warrican and Seales still to bat.

What Pakistan Need on Day 2

West Indies still have Kemar Roach, Shamar Joseph, Jomel Warrican and Jayden Seales to bat. If Greaves and Chase extend their partnership past 300 Pakistan face another massive first innings deficit on a pitch that will deteriorate further.

Pakistan need two quick wickets in the morning session. Sajid Khan and Ali Usman are the most dangerous options on this surface. If the pitch offers the same turn as the middle session of Day 1 the tail becomes gettable.

The batting lineup without Shan Masood is the other concern. Awais Zafar makes his debut at number seven. Abdullah Shafique comes in for Masood. The top four of Awais, Imam, Shafique and Babar will face Shamar Joseph and Jayden Seales on a Queen’s Park surface. After the 1st Test collapse for 120 the pressure on that top order is real.

Read More: Babar Azam’s Captaincy Cost Pakistan the 1st Test

Fan Pulse

The mood after Day 1 is frustrated rather than panicked. Three themes running through supporter discussions.

The Abbas omission is the dominant conversation. Supporters who accepted the decision at the toss are questioning it after the final session. The argument is that Abbas on this surface — controlling length, hitting the seam, keeping runs dry — would have denied Greaves and Chase the scoring opportunities they found against Ubaid and the spinners in their attacking phases. His absence left Pakistan without an anchor bowler when the pitch eased in the final session.

The Babar captaincy debate continues. The delayed third slip, the defensive fields for Greaves in the final session and the overall body language of the team in the field are discussed alongside the Abbas decision as evidence of a leadership approach that reacts rather than anticipates.

The realistic assessment from most supporters is that 239/5 is recoverable if Pakistan bowl West Indies out for under 280 on Day 2. Pakistan batted past 282 in the 1st Test on a harder pitch. Queen’s Park batting conditions later in the match will be more difficult. But the batting needs to produce more than 120 this time.

FAQ

What was the Day 1 score in Pakistan vs West Indies 2nd Test? West Indies ended Day 1 on 239/5 from 74 overs at Queen’s Park Oval, Port of Spain. Justin Greaves was unbeaten on 64 and Roston Chase on 36.

Why was Mohammad Abbas dropped for the 2nd Test? Babar Azam dropped Mohammad Abbas citing pitch conditions at Queen’s Park Oval which traditionally favours spin. Pakistan selected two specialist spinners — Sajid Khan and Ali Usman — alongside pace options Mohammad Ali and Ubaid Shah.

Who took wickets for Pakistan on Day 1 of the 2nd Test? Mohammad Ali took 2 wickets — Chanderpaul and Hope. Ali Usman took 1 — King. Sajid Khan took 1 — Hodge. Ubaid Shah took 1 on debut — Jangoo.

Who is Ubaid Shah? Ubaid Shah is a Pakistan pace bowler making his Test debut in the 2nd Test against West Indies at Queen’s Park Oval on 2 August 2026. He took the wicket of Amir Jangoo but went for 56 runs in 9 overs.

What time does Day 2 start? Day 2 begins at 10:00 AM local time — 7:00 PM Pakistan Standard Time — on 3 August 2026 at Queen’s Park Oval, Port of Spain.