| GEO Sports | | Pakistan set tough target of 295 runs by WI | Updated at: 2016 PST, Wednesday, November 12, 2008
 ABU DHABI: Pakistan have to achieve a difficult target of 295 runs to win the first One-day International against the West Indies here at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium on Wednesday.
Winning the toss, the West Indies opted batting on an easy wicket and piled up a huge score of 294 runs for the loss of nine wickets with the help of a brilliant century by their captain Chris Gayle.
Gayle, who opened the innings with Sewnarine Chattergoon, hit 113 runs off 106 balls with 11 fours and five sixes. Both openers made 125 runs for the opening stand.
After Cahttergoon got out for 33, Gayle added further 73 runs for the second wicket with Ramnaresh Sarwan, who made a significant contribution of 55 off 61 balls.
However, the Pakistan pacers Sohail Tanvir and Umar Gul brought Pakistan back into the game and the wickets fell at regular intervals as the West Indies finished at 294 for seven in the allotted 50 overs.
Sohail Tanvir and Umar Gul claimed three wickets each while spinners Shoaib Malik and Shahid Afridi took one wicket each.
Earlier, Pakistan received a setback when their ace paceman Shoaib Akhtar was ruled out of the match after pulling a calf muscle in his left leg during team practice on Tuesday. He was replaced by 29-year-old fast bowler Abdur Rauf.
The West Indies included left-arm spinner Nikita Miller and all-rounder Lionel Baker, 24, making his one-day debut.
The three-match series is played at the neutral venue after West Indies refused to tour Pakistan over security fears.
Teams:
Pakistan: Shoaib Malik (captain), Salman Butt, Khurrum Manzoor, Younus Khan, Misbahul Haq, Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal (wk), Fawad Alam, Umer Gul, Abdul Rauf, Sohail Tanveer.
West Indies: Chris Gayle (captain), Xavier Marshall, Sewnarine Chattergoon, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Lionel Baker, Carlton Baugh (wk), Brendan Nash, Nikita Miller, Daren Powell, Jerome Taylor. |  |
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