Shaheen Afridi took a career-best haul on Monday (August 23) to put Pakistan firmly in control of the second Betway Test against the West Indies at Sabina Park in Kingston.

The 1.98m tall pace bowler, who rained down hostile and penetrative deliveries, picked up 6-51 as the West Indies replying to Pakistan’s 302-9 crumbled to 150 all out.

The damage would have been worse had it not been a fifth-wicket stand of 60 between the Jamaican pair of Nkrumah Bonner and Jermaine Blackwood. The pair came together following Afridi’s dismissal of nightwatchman Alzarri Joseph for 4 that left the West Indies, 39-3 overnight, in further trouble at 45-4.

Mohammad Abbas broke the partnership when he had Bonner, who was 18 overnight, caught behind for 37. The West Indies’ tenuous situation at 105-5 became 105-6 the very next ball as Kyle Myers was dismissed for a duck first ball. The Barbadian all-rounder is yet to score a single run this series.

Afridi then dismissed Blackwood for 33, Jason Holder for 26 and Kemar Roach for 8 while Abbas trapped Joshua Da Silva lbw for 6 as the West Indies folded 152 runs short of their intended target.

Abbas took 3-44 in the rout.

Pakistan, in a search for quick runs to set the West Indies a new target, raced to 176-6 from just 27.2 overs before their second declaration of the match.

The successful effort in which they averaged 6.43 runs an over, was due mainly to opener Imran Butt, who had his best score of the series with 37 from 44 deliveries in an opening stand of 70 at almost seven runs an over with Abid Ali, who raced to 29 from 23 balls.

Ahzar Ali (22) and Captain Babar Azam’s 33 helped Pakistan maintain the momentum and enabled the early declaration that came 10 overs after the team break.

Jason Holder was the best of the West Indies bowlers with 2-27 from six overs while Joseph took 2-24 from 4.2 overs.

Needing 329 for victory, the West Indies started well with Kraigg Brathwaite and Kieran Powell staging an opening partnership of 34.

They seemed to be heading to the close of play without drama when Powell, going for a third run, lazily failed to ground his bat and was run out by Afridi, who threw from deep extra cover.

Brathwaite (17) and Joseph (8) managed to make it to close of play without further loss at 49-1.

The West Indies, 279 runs from an unlikely victory, will have to be resolute with the bat for the entire day today (Tuesday) to avoid defeat.