West Indies close in on series sweep as Babar Azam's century wait goes on in Trinidad
West Indies lead Pakistan by 60 runs with four wickets left after three days of the second Test in Trinidad, as the hosts chase a 2-0 series sweep and Pakistan's reappointed captain Babar Azam falls short of a century once again.
West Indies lead Pakistan by 60 runs with four second-innings wickets remaining after day three of the second Test at Queen's Park Oval, Trinidad. Pakistan captain Babar Azam was run out for 88 by a direct hit from Brandon King, extending his Test century drought as West Indies chase a 2-0 series sweep.
West Indies finished day three of the second Test against Pakistan at the Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad with a 60-run lead and four second-innings wickets in hand, leaving them well placed to push for a series sweep. Pakistan captain Babar Azam was the day's most notable casualty, run out for 88 by a direct hit from Brandon King as his wait for a Test century continued. The second Test began on Sunday, 2 August 2026, with West Indies already 1-0 up after winning the first Test in Trinidad by 90 runs. Pakistan had fought back strongly in this match, reaching 266 for 2 on day two, according to reports, with Abdullah Shafique making an unbeaten 160 — said to be Pakistan's first individual Test score of 150 or more in the Caribbean in 49 years. Babar's dismissal matters beyond one innings. Reappointed Test captain on 5 July, he returned to lead a side seeking to level the series, but his run-out and West Indies' late surge have tilted the match. Day four will decide whether the hosts complete the 2-0 win Roston Chase had called for.
West Indies edge ahead in a tense Trinidad decider
Three days into the second Test at the Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad, the match hangs in the balance. West Indies closed the third day holding a lead of 60 runs over Pakistan, with four wickets still standing in their second innings. It is the kind of position that offers comfort to neither side: enough of a cushion for the hosts to press for victory, yet fragile enough that a burst of early wickets on the fourth morning could flip the contest entirely.
The stakes extend well beyond this match. West Indies arrived at the Queen's Park Oval already 1-0 up in the two-Test series, having beaten Pakistan by 90 runs in the opener. That result means Pakistan cannot win the series; the best they can salvage is a draw, and even that requires them to win here. For the visitors, then, day four is effectively a fight for survival. For West Indies, it is an opportunity to close out a home series in front of their own supporters.
The setting adds to the occasion. The Queen's Park Oval, in Port of Spain, is one of the Caribbean's most storied grounds, and the second Test — which began on Sunday, 2 August 2026 — has already delivered its share of drama across the first three days. Pakistan's batting showed real fight earlier in the match, but the home side's bowlers have kept chipping away, and the slender 60-run advantage with wickets in hand leaves West Indies marginally the happier camp heading into the decisive day.
How West Indies took the series lead in Tarouba
The series turned first at Tarouba, Trinidad, where the hosts set the tone with a 90-run victory that put them 1-0 up before the teams moved to the Queen's Park Oval.
Pakistan had appeared well placed during their first innings. According to reports, they closed day two on 199 for 3, trailing West Indies by 112 runs, with Shan Masood unbeaten on 88. It was, reports noted, Masood's first Test innings since being removed as captain, and his composure at the crease suggested Pakistan might yet overhaul the home side's total.
That position unravelled later in the match. Babar Azam, reappointed as Test captain on 5 July, was left stranded on 58 not out, according to reports, marshalling the tail in a 49-run last-wicket partnership with Mohammad Abbas. The stand prolonged the contest but could not close the gap, and Pakistan fell 90 runs short.
West Indies' bowling was led by a player identified in reports only as Jayden, who is said to have taken five wickets in the match. His five-wicket haul proved decisive in breaking Pakistan's resistance after Masood's defiance on day two.
The defeat left Pakistan chasing the series from the outset and sharpened the stakes for the second Test. For West Indies, the Tarouba result was the foundation on which talk of a home sweep was built, with the side carrying a lead and clear momentum into Port of Spain.
Shafique's 160 ends a 49-year wait for Pakistan in the Caribbean
Pakistan's reply in the second Test was built on patience and, for once, runs in quantity. According to reports from the Trinidad match, the visitors reached 266 for 2 on day two in response to West Indies' first-innings total, with Abdullah Shafique and Babar Azam sharing a significant partnership that steadied the innings and put Pakistan in a position of rare strength in the series.
At the heart of it was Shafique. Reports describe the opener carrying his bat through to an unbeaten 160, an innings that, according to the outlets covering the match, made him the first Pakistan batsman in 49 years to record an individual Test score of 150 or more in the Caribbean. If confirmed, the milestone underlines how long Pakistan's touring sides have waited for a truly substantial score in the region.
The innings mattered beyond the statistics. Pakistan had arrived at the Queen's Park Oval already 1-0 down in the series, and their batting had been the concern. The day-two stand between Shafique and Azam, reported as a substantial one, gave the reply its spine and briefly shifted the balance of the match. Shafique remained unbeaten, and his 160 stood as the centrepiece of Pakistan's effort even as events later in the match swung momentum back towards the hosts. For a side searching for a defining performance away from home, his knock, as reported, provided it — at least for a day.
Babar Azam's run-out and the drought that follows him
Babar Azam arrived in the Caribbean carrying more than the usual burden of a premier batter. Reappointed as Pakistan's Test captain on 5 July, he is a former skipper in all three formats and a member of the side that lifted the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy. This series was meant to reaffirm his standing at the heart of Pakistan's campaign.
Instead, day three at the Queen's Park Oval delivered the moment that will define his tour. Batting on 88, twelve runs short of the century that has eluded him, Babar was run out by a direct hit from Brandon King. The dismissal ended Pakistan's resistance in the most abrupt fashion and left him still waiting for a Test hundred.
The cricketing world noticed beyond the boundary. According to reports, a social media post from Iceland Cricket joking about Babar's Test century drought drew wide attention after his dismissal, turning a personal milestone missed into a viral talking point.
Around him, Pakistan's leadership group remains experienced. Mohammad Rizwan, the wicket-keeper batter, has himself captained Pakistan in ODIs and previously served as vice-captain in Tests and T20Is, giving Babar a deputy with genuine leadership pedigree in the dressing room.
For Babar, the arithmetic is now uncomfortable. He has the captaincy back and the runs have flowed in patches, but the hundred that would silence the noise remains out of reach as Pakistan fight to stay alive in Trinidad.
Fortress talk and a viral jibe: the noise around the series
The cricket being played in Trinidad has been matched, at times, by the noise around it. When Babar Azam was run out for 88 on the third day of the second Test, his long wait for a Test century stretching on, a social media post from Iceland Cricket joking about that drought drew wide attention, according to reports. That an account from a nation with no Test status could set the agenda for discussion of one of the game's most scrutinised batters says much about how closely Azam's form is now followed, and how mercilessly.
The home side, meanwhile, has been doing its own talking. Ahead of the second Test at the Queen's Park Oval, Roston Chase said he wanted to make West Indies' home ground a fortress and secure a 2-0 series win over Pakistan, according to reports. It was a strikingly confident statement from a West Indies side that has rarely been in such a position in recent years, and it reflected the mood of a team that had already won the first Test by 90 runs and believed more was possible.
Between Chase's public ambition and the mockery trailing Azam, the series has carried an edge beyond the scoreboard. For West Indies it has been a chance to project belief; for Pakistan, a reminder that every failure by their captain is now a global talking point.
What day four holds for both sides
When play resumes at the Queen's Park Oval, West Indies will begin day four with a lead of 60 runs and four second-innings wickets still in hand. Neither side can yet claim control. The home side will want to push the lead well beyond 100, forcing Pakistan to chase on a wearing pitch; Pakistan, for their part, will know that four quick wickets in the morning session would leave them with a modest target and a genuine chance to level the series.
For West Indies, the stakes are straightforward. Roston Chase spoke before the match of turning his side's home ground into a fortress and completing a 2-0 series win, and victory here would deliver exactly that after the 90-run win in the first Test. For Pakistan, led by Babar Azam since his reappointment on 5 July, defeat would mean a series lost on tour and fresh questions for a side that fought back strongly through day two, reaching a reported 266 for 2 before the match tightened again.
What happens on day four will settle the argument. West Indies have the lead; Pakistan have the ball. The sweep Chase asked for, and the response Pakistan need, both remain within reach.
Babar Azam was reappointed as captain of Pakistan's Test team.
Pakistan reached 199 for 3 at stumps, trailing West Indies by 112 runs, with Shan Masood unbeaten on 88 in his first Test innings since being removed as captain.
Babar Azam scored an unbeaten 58 and shared a 49-run last-wicket partnership with Mohammad Abbas, but West Indies won the first Test by 90 runs, with a bowler named Jayden taking five wickets.
Roston Chase said he wanted to make the West Indies' home ground a fortress and secure a 2-0 series win over Pakistan.
The second Test between West Indies and Pakistan was scheduled to begin at the Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad.
Pakistan reached 266 for 2 in reply to West Indies' first-innings total, with Abdullah Shafique and Babar Azam sharing a significant partnership.
Abdullah Shafique scored an unbeaten 160, Pakistan's first individual Test score of 150 or more in the Caribbean in 49 years.
Babar Azam was run out for 88 after a direct hit from Brandon King, and a social media post from Iceland Cricket joking about his Test century drought drew wide attention.
West Indies led Pakistan by 60 runs with four second-innings wickets remaining.
Frequently asked questions
Who is winning the second Test between Pakistan and West Indies?
After the third day of the second Test at the Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad, West Indies led Pakistan by 60 runs with four second-innings wickets remaining. The final result was not yet known at that stage. West Indies had already won the first Test of the series by 90 runs.
How was Babar Azam dismissed in the second Test against West Indies?
Babar Azam was run out for 88 on Day 3 of the second Test after a direct hit from West Indies fielder Brandon King. The dismissal fell short of a century, and a social media post from Iceland Cricket joking about his Test century drought drew wide attention afterwards.
What did Abdullah Shafique score in the second Test against West Indies?
According to reports, Abdullah Shafique scored an unbeaten 160 in the second Test at the Queen's Park Oval. Reports say it was Pakistan's first individual Test score of 150 or more in the Caribbean in 49 years. He and Babar Azam reportedly shared a significant partnership on Day 2 as Pakistan reached 266 for 2.
Who won the first Test between West Indies and Pakistan?
West Indies won the first Test by 90 runs. Reports say the match was played in Tarouba, Trinidad, where Pakistan reached 199 for 3 at stumps on day two, with Shan Masood unbeaten on 88. Babar Azam reportedly made an unbeaten 58 and shared a 49-run last-wicket stand with Mohammad Abbas, while a West Indies bowler named Jayden reportedly took five wickets.
When was Babar Azam reappointed as Pakistan Test captain?
Babar Azam was reappointed as captain of Pakistan's Test team on 5 July. He is a former captain of the national side in all three formats and was part of the team that won the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy. Reports say Shan Masood played the first Test after being removed from the captaincy.
Compiled from reporting by 9 independent outlets. How we source our reporting.
