"West Indies handily defeats Pakistan for their first victory in an ODI series after a 33-year drought"
In a rare cause for celebration for West Indies cricket, the team secured a series win against Pakistan in the third and final One-Day International (ODI), clinching the series 2-1. This victory marked a significant turnaround for West Indies after a series loss in the opening match.
Captain Shai Hope led from the front, scoring an unbeaten 120 off 94 balls, his 18th ODI century. His knock featured 10 fours and five sixes, while Justin Greaves supported him with a quickfire 43 not out from 24 balls. The duo shared an unbroken 110-run seventh-wicket stand in just 8.1 overs, helping West Indies post a competitive total of 240 runs.
Pakistan's innings, however, ended in 29.2 overs with a dismal total of 92 runs. Salman Ali Agha offered the most resistance with 30 runs, but no other Pakistani batsman managed to score more than 20 runs.
The star of the match, though, was pace spearhead Jayden Seales. In a remarkable display of bowling, Seales took 6 wickets for 18 runs in 7.2 overs. This performance surpassed the previous best figures by a West Indian against Pakistan, breaking a long-standing record held by Franklyn Rose. It also broke Dale Steyn’s record for the best ODI bowling figures against Pakistan overall.
Seales' spell was nothing short of devastating. He took five wickets by his fifth over, including the key dismissal of Pakistan captain Babar Azam. He concluded his spell by clean bowling Hasan Ali for a three-ball duck. This remains one of the finest ODI bowling performances by a West Indian bowler in recent years.
The match was played at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba, Trinidad, and West Indies won by 27 runs, securing a much-needed series victory. The win came amidst a turbulent period for West Indies, who had recently suffered a Test collapse for just 27 against Australia.
Following the victory, an emergency cricket summit was attended by legends Brian Lara and Clive Lloyd, highlighting the importance of this win for West Indies cricket. Shai Hope, reflecting on the victory, said, "This is the kind of positive result we've been craving."
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