Pakistan’s ODI captain Mohammad Rizwan has heaped praise on debutant Hassan Nawaz and all-rounder Hussain Talat for their match-winning partnership that sealed a five-wicket victory against the West Indies in the series opener on Friday at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy. Speaking at the post-match press conference, Rizwan lauded the pair’s calmness in a pressure situation. "Hasan Nawaz and Talat deserve all the credit.

The conditions weren’t easy, but to have that partnership coming in at seven, I want to give a lot of credit to Hussain Talat," he said. The skipper also reflected on the team’s bowling performance, noting areas for improvement. "We want to improve a bit on our bowling. The ball was gripping in the first half and towards the end, we gave a few too many runs, I feel," he remarked.

On the mindset of the bowling unit, Rizwan added: "Bowlers are happy because they feel it (having a single ball after the 34th over) can reverse, and there was a different feeling among the bowling group." Chasing 281, Pakistan had a shaky start when Saim Ayub fell for five to Jayden Seales in the third over. Abdullah Shafique (29) and Babar Azam (47) rebuilt the innings, with Babar adding a 55-run stand with Rizwan.

Rizwan, who reached his 16th ODI fifty, was dismissed for 53 by Shamar Joseph. At 180-5, debutant Hassan Nawaz and Talat stepped up with a composed 104-run unbeaten stand for the sixth wicket. Hassan, dropped during his knock, remained unbeaten on 63 off 54 balls, striking five fours and three sixes. Talat contributed 41* off 37 balls as Pakistan chased down the target in 48.5 overs.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)