Tea West Indies 150 and 159 for 7 (Holder 13*, Afridi 2-27, Nauman 2-29) need another 170 runs to beat Pakistan 302 for 9 dec & 176 for 6 dec (Butt 37, Babar 33, Joseph 2-24)
Pakistan were on the cusp of a series-levelling win when the heavens opened, giving West Indies a glimmer of hope once more. Shaheen Afridi had just removed Kyle Mayers to break a frustrating seventh-wicket partnership that had put the result in slight doubt once more, but almost instantly after, a cloudburst saw the covers come on. Jason Holder jogged back off alongside the dismissed Mayers, while Babar Azam followed in his wake, remonstrating with the umpires. It was little more than a cloudburst, though, but the shower meant the session broke for tea early.
Kraigg Brathwaite appeared to be the focal point of resistance when the session began but a rare loose shot a few overs in allowed Pakistan to chisel their way into the lower order. A loose, uppish slash to point found Fawad Alam, and Pakistan were sniffing at the prospect of finishing the game off before tea.
But Mayers, who was yet to score a run this series before today, found a bit of rhythm, and alongside Holder, began to hunker down. The runs came from time to time, but they weren't a priority, and as Nauman's effectiveness wavered while the quicks tired, West Indies were raising local hopes of taking the game deep and infusing concern amongst the fielding side. Abid Ali's butterfingers didn't help, the opener putting down his second catch of the day, this time a routine grab at short leg after an inside edge from Mayers.
It was down to Shaheen Afridi - who else? - to give Pakistan a lift, coming with an exquisite off-stump delivery that shaped away from the left-handed Mayers. The batsman went for an expansive drive, only to see it take a feather off the outside edge, triggering relieved Pakistani celebrations.
Pakistan were slightly jittery overnight in the face of West Indian resistance, and for a brief spell this morning, as Joseph and Brathwaite kept the bowlers at bay. Each struck a boundary to get the ball rolling, and with the ball losing its shine, West Indies appeared to be making progress. But once Afridi banged one in that Joseph threw his bat at, the innings began to fall apart. Mohammad Rizwan took a comfortable skier and if West Indies had the baton of control, Pakistan were beginning to wrest it away from them.
Hasan Ali hadn't enjoyed as spectacular a series as he's become used to since his comeback, but it took just one ball for him to have an impact today. Bonner played down the wrong line and was struck dead in front; Hasan didn't even bother to appeal as he set off to celebrate. The umpire made Pakistan review, but there was no redemption for Bonner.
Faheem Ashraf at the other end should have seen off Brathwaite, but while one Pakistan opener simply cannot drop a catch in the slips, Brathwaite's outside edge looped to the other one. Abid put down a dolly, perhaps illustrating why Imran Butt had dived so spectacularly in front of him in the first Test. To rub the point home further, when Chase offered up a chance the following over, Butt dived adroitly to his right, and Pakistan had another wicket.
Blackwood and Brathwaite have been West Indies' brightest batting sparks this tour, and for more than an hour, they kept Pakistan waiting for another breakthrough. It came from an unlikely source - their left-arm spinner Nauman - who flighted the ball to draw the batter forward and induce an outside edge to the keeper.
West Indies have put up resistance, today, but even with the brief rain shower, there's a sense it might have come too little, too late.
Danyal Rasool is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo. @Danny61000
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