An emotional atmosphere engulfed the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba as the West Indies wrapped up a memorable victory over Pakistan in the first Test of their multi-format series (July 25–28, 2026). Beyond the sheer grit displayed across four dramatic days, the contest will be remembered for a poetic, fate-bound alignment of cricket history: on the exact day legendary all-rounder Sir Garfield Sobers would have turned 90 years old, the Caribbean men in maroon sealed a tense 90-run victory to go 1-0 up in the two-match series.
Roston Chase shares a touching message for the late Sir Garfield Sobers
In the post-match presentation, West Indies skipper Roston Chase dedicated the hard-fought win directly to the memory of Sobers. The legendary cricketer, who recently passed away at the age of 89 in his native Barbados, left behind an unprecedented legacy, accumulating 8,032 runs and 235 wickets in 93 Test appearances.
Addressing fans and media via West Indies’ official social media channels, Chase highlighted how Sobers continues to serve as an enduring beacon of inspiration inside the dressing room. He reflected on the striking numerical coincidence between Sir Garry’s 90th birth anniversary and the 90-run margin of victory, calling it a moment guided by destiny.
“On behalf of the West Indies senior cricket men’s team, we would like to dedicate this victory to the late, great Sir Garfield Sobers. He’s a legend of the game, a hero of everyone in this dressing room… He would have been 90 years old today, and we won by 90 runs. So it was destined for him. We had a chat about trying to make him feel special in his grave, and I hope he’s smiling on us right now. So Sir Garfield Sobers, I want to say thank you for everything that you’ve done for West Indies cricket, and we’ve tried to make you proud,” Chase said.
Here’s the video:
For the Legend With Love 🖤
Historic win for the team on Sir Garry’s 90th. #WIvPAK pic.twitter.com/2yLXAkXQ6a
— Windies Cricket (@windiescricket) July 28, 2026
West Indies register a dominant victory over Pakistan in the first Test
The match itself was a classic low-scoring Test battle where fortune swung rapidly between both sides.
Opting to bat first, West Indies posted a solid 311 in their first innings. Kavem Hodge anchored the effort with a gritty 84 off 183 balls, while late-order fireworks from Shamar Joseph (23 off 18) pushed the total past the 300-mark. In reply, Pakistan was bowled out for 282, despite strong top-order contributions from Shan Masood (109) and Imam-ul-Haq (63). All-rounder Justin Greaves produced a standout performance with the ball, tearing through Pakistan’s middle order to claim 5 for 27 in 11 overs.
Holding a slender 29-run lead, the West Indies stuttered in their second turn at the crease, collapsing to 181 all out under disciplined bowling from Mohammad Abbas (5/22). However, a fiery counter-attack from Joseph (38 off 27 balls) pushed the target to a tricky 211 runs.
Pakistan’s pursuit of 211 fell completely apart against a lethal opening spell from Jayden Seales and Kemar Roach. Seales delivered a spellbinding effort, taking 5 for 20 in 14.2 overs, while Greaves and Roach offered relentless pressure. Despite a resolute unbeaten 58 from Pakistan captain Babar Azam, the visitors were skittled for just 120 in 40.2 overs on Day 4.
Player of the Match honors fittingly went to Greaves for his vital multi-dimensional contribution (5/27, 20 runs, and 2/12), handing West Indies a 1-0 lead heading into the second Test.
