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Hasan Nawaz and Hussain Talat forge unbeaten century partnership • Randy Brooks/AFP via Getty Images

Pakistan 284 for 5 (Nawaz 63*, Rizwan 53, Talat 41*, Joseph 2-65) beat West Indies 280 (Lewis 60, Hope 55, Chase 53, Afridi 4-51, Naseem 3-55) by five wickets.

A composed, unbeaten 104-run stand between debutant Hasan Nawaz and Hussain Talat, playing only his second match, guided Pakistan to a tense five-wicket victory in the first ODI, chasing down 281 with five balls to spare. The win gave Pakistan a 1-0 lead in the series.

Earlier, West Indies posted 280 on the back of half-centuries from Evin Lewis (60), Shai Hope (55), and Roston Chase (53). Pakistan’s bowlers, led by Shaheen Shah Afridi (4 for 51) and Naseem Shah (3 for 55), kept the total in check, striking crucial blows at the death.

The chase was far from straightforward. Pakistan lost Saim Ayub early, undone by extra bounce from Jayden Seales. Babar Azam (47) and Mohammad Rizwan (53) steadied the innings but were guilty of a sluggish start, going 16 balls without a run at one stage. Though they eventually found the gaps and boundaries to bring the asking rate down, Rizwan’s dismissal with 101 still required left Pakistan wobbling.

Nawaz, after surviving a couple of dropped chances, grew in confidence, while Talat provided assured support with an unbeaten 41 off 37 balls. The pair’s calculated partnership turned the tide, sealing victory in the penultimate over and showing Pakistan’s depth beyond their top order.

West Indies persisted with their pacers far longer than Pakistan had, using just one over of spin until the 20th. That wasn’t a reflection on Gudakesh Motie’s ability—once introduced, he immediately began troubling the batters, eventually dismissing Babar Azam for 47 when the Pakistan captain advanced for a big shot but was beaten by the turn.

Salman Ali Agha showed more intent but wasted a promising start, scooping a delivery that gripped into Roston Chase’s safe hands. With wickets falling, Mohammad Rizwan’s presence became increasingly crucial. He eased past his half-century, but Alzarri Joseph, who had earlier missed out, trapped him in front this time, with the on-field decision going West Indies’ way and tilting momentum their side.

At that stage, Hasan Nawaz and Hussain Talat—whose combined ODI experience consisted of just one match back in 2019—seemed unlikely heroes. Nawaz managed only three runs from his first 12 balls and looked shaky against spin, surviving an early let-off when Shai Hope spilled a nick behind. With the asking rate climbing, Pakistan needed him to stay until the end.

The shift began in the 39th over, when dew made gripping the ball difficult. Talat took on Chase for two boundaries, and a wayward over from Joseph—featuring five wides—went for 17 runs, dropping the required rate to just above seven. From there, Pakistan controlled the chase, finding boundaries whenever the equation tightened.

Four overs from the finish, with Nawaz on 49, Motie spilled a sitter at short third, leaving Jayden Seales stunned. The miss proved fatal: Talat smashed 15 off the next over, and five balls later, Nawaz struck the winning runs to seal Pakistan’s victory.

Pakistan chose to bowl first, partly due to uncertain conditions both overhead and on the pitch. After surviving Shaheen Afridi’s trademark threat of an early breakthrough, Evin Lewis and Keacy Carty began building a steady platform in the powerplay. With Shaheen and Naseem Shah struggling to extract movement from the new ball, Rizwan turned to the spin of Saim Ayub as early as the eighth over. On a pitch that had hosted only one prior ODI, there was no clear read on how spin would fare — but the next two and a half hours provided the answer.

As the surface began to grip, Pakistan unleashed all three spinners — Ayub, Agha Salman, and Sufiyan Muqim — in quick succession. Across the next 27 overs, only a single over of seam was bowled. The West Indies, who had kept the scoring rate near six an over during the opening stand, saw it slip below five as wickets fell at regular intervals. The solitary seam over from Faheem Ashraf proved costly, with Lewis smashing a six and a four to reach his fifty.

But on 60, Lewis picked Ayub as his target again. After sending one delivery to the boundary, he attempted another big shot off the last ball of the over — only to sky it. Shaheen, after a couple of awkward turns, pulled off a sharp catch. Sherfane Rutherford’s laboured stay ended soon after, lofting Agha straight to cover-point.