Kraigg Brathwaite impregnable as West Indies defeat Pakistan in Sharjah to end Test drought

West Indies secured their first Test victory since May 2015 when they beat Pakistan by five wickets on Thursday's fifth day of the final Test in Sharjah.

Kraigg Brathwaite spent the entire Test match on the field with two unbeaten innings as the West Indies ended their 12 Test wait for a victory. Aamir Qureshi / AFP

SHARJAH // Kraigg Brathwaite and Shane Dowrich guided West Indies to a five-wicket win over Pakistan in the third and final Test on Thursday, completing a rare Test victory away from home for the tourists.

Needing a further 39 runs on the last day to deny Pakistan a clean sweep in the series, Brathwaite and Dowrich calmly steered the tourists to 154 for five with both batsmen finishing with identical scores of 60 not out.

The pair shared an unbroken sixth wicket partnership of 87 after coming together on Wednesday with the West Indies in trouble at 67 for five.

“This has been a long time coming,” said Jason Holder said after notching his first victory in his 12th Test as West Indies captain.

“I’ve had tough Test matches over the last year or so (but) we’re a young side in transition ... the longer we stay together as group, the better it is for West Indies cricket.”

Pakistan won the opening Test, played as a day-nighter, then the second by 133 runs but the third Test defeat cost them a rare triple clean sweep after they won the Twenty20 and ODI series’ 3-0.

West Indies’ last Test victory against a major Test opposition away from home came way back in 2007 when they defeated South Africa at Port Elizabeth.

Brathwaite laid the foundations for the victory by hitting an unbeaten century and carrying his bat in West Indies first innings of 337 and a 56-run lead.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Dowrich also showed lots of aggression and patience, sealing the win with a sliced boundary over slips off Mohammad Amir.

“I’ve been playing with Shane since secondary school and the plan was to just keep rotating strike and bring the target down,” Brathwaite said.

Brathwaite, 44 overnight, took some of the pressure off when he drove Wahab Riaz through the covers for four off the first ball. He then raised his half century by guiding the left-arm seamer to third man for two runs.

Dowrich was also fluent, reaching his fourth test fifty with a boundary off Riaz before sealing the match with another four.

“We made a hell lot of mistakes,” Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq said.

“We were well below our standards, especially in the batting department there was no discipline.

“Everyone’s hurt from this defeat. This was a batting paradise and we just collapsed in both innings.”

Pakistan will now travel to New Zealand for the two-Test series, starting at Christchurch from November 17.

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