West Indies skipper Roston Chase led his side to a commanding 90-run victory over Pakistan in the first Test at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad.
The victory margin perfectly mirrored what would have been the 90th birthday of the late legendary all-rounder, Sir Garfield Sobers, who had sadly passed away just days earlier on 17th July 2026.
Speaking during the post-match presentation, Chase dedicated the win to iconic cricketer. "We wanted to make him proud and had a chat about it before the match. I hope he is smiling down on us," said Chase.
"I also want to thank the Trinidad crowd for coming out and supporting us. It was not a big crowd, but it gave us enough energy and support to go out there and perform," he added.
Chasing 211 to win, Pakistan, led by Babar Azam, were bowled out for just 120. Jayden Seales returned with a five-wicket haul to script West Indies’ emphatic win and give them a 1-0 lead in the two-Test series.
Roston Chase credited extra preparation and team unity for their recent success. Earlier this month, the Caribbean side also defeated Sri Lanka in a two-match Test series at home.
"I think these two teams that we've played, Sri Lanka and Pakistan, they're closer to us in the rankings. I don't want to say they're teams we should beat, but I think it's a more even contest between us.
"The guys are confident, and over the last few months we've been putting in some extra hard work. We had a camp as well before the Sri Lanka series, and I think that really helped us become closer as a unit and also work on our weaknesses and improve our strengths as well. So I think that this is the upliftment of that practice and camp," Chase stated.
Interestingly, all 40 wickets in the Trinidad Test fell to fast bowlers. “I think it just goes to show that it was more friendly towards the seamers. The Pakistani spinner [Ali Usman] bowled a number of overs, but he didn't get a wicket. Jomel Warrican bowled a few, didn't get a wicket and didn't look too threatening as well. The fast bowlers really put the ball in the right areas, and it paid off," Chase remarked.
The second West Indies versus Pakistan Test will be played at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain, starting August 2.
