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2/20! Saim Ayub's Spin Magic Overshadows Batting In Pakistan's 2nd T20I Defeat Vs WI

Soumyajit Dutta

Saim Ayub stands out with his bowling [Source: AFP Photos]Saim Ayub stands out with his bowling [Source: AFP Photos]

Is it time for Saim Ayub to change his designation from opener to top-order all-rounder? The young Pakistani brat has been impressing with the ball lately, which is actually out of his forte. He already took 4 wickets in the West Indies series, two each from two matches, and he ain't stopping.

Pakistan’s young opening batter had a forgettable day with the bat in the 2nd T20I against the West Indies, falling cheaply for just 7 runs. But in a surprising twist, he turned the game with his part-time off-spin, claiming two crucial wickets, in a losing cause, though.

Saim Ayub Dismantles Threats With Bowling

Saim Ayub, primarily known for his aggressive batting at the top, isn’t a frontline bowler. Yet, his subtle variations and clever use of flight proved too much for the West Indies middle order. 

His first breakthrough came in the 8th over, removing the struggling Sherfane Rutherford with a classic spinner's dismissal. Ayub floated a full delivery on middle stump, and Rutherford, attempting to work it through midwicket, was beaten by the slight straightening. The ball thudded into the back pad, and despite a hopeful review, ball tracking confirmed three reds, plumb LBW.

Ayub struck again in the 14th over, ending Roston Chase's resistance. Tossing it up at 87.6 km/h on middle and leg, he lured Chase into a lofted shot over cow corner. The batter could only skew it off the toe-end, and Hasan Nawaz sprinted to his right to complete a well-judged catch.

Ayub bowled a complete 4 overs in the match, conceding only 20 runs at an economy rate of 5, which was even lower than full-time bowler Hasan Ali, who conceded 48 runs in his 4 overs and scalped only 1 wicket.

Ayub's Fight For A Lost Cause

Nevertheless, Ayub's show was for a losing cause, though as West Indies, chasing 134, seemed dead and buried at 98/7 before Jason Holder and Romario Shepherd launched a stunning counterattack. 

Needing 8 off the last over, Shepherd fell to Shaheen Afridi, but Holder sealed a dramatic three-wicket win off the final ball, ending West Indies' six-match losing streak and levelling the series 1-1. Earlier, Pakistan's 133/9 was built on Agha Salman's (38) and Hasan Nawaz's (40 off 23) fiery stand, but Holder (4/19) and Gudakesh Motie (2/39) restricted them late.