Before start of the series against West Indies in the UAE, it was a general perception that Pakistan will clean sweep in Test series but can face resistance in Twenty20 and One-day Internationals.

But surprisingly, West Indies meekly surrendered in T20Is and ODIs but gave a tough time in Test matches. Pakistan won first Test in Dubai by 56 runs, second in Abu Dhabi by 123 runs but lost the final Test in Sharjah by five wickets.

After every Test, West Indies team improved their performance while Pakistan lost concentration. Pakistan players were below their standards, especially in batting. There was bad shot selection. The pitches in the UAE were batting paradise but our batting collapsed at least three times in favourable conditions.

Credit must be given to West Indies young team for giving tough time in all three Tests.

West Indies made Pakistan work hard for first two Test victories. They batted 109 and 108 overs, respectively, in the fourth innings of both Tests. It was only the fourth occasion whey they had batted for more than 100 overs in the fourth innings more than once in a series and was the first time for West Indies away from the Caribbean.

Another success for the West Indies team was that they had taken both Tests into the fifth day. Before this tour of the UAE, out of last 13 Tests, West Indies had taken only five away Tests into the fifth day.

Victory in Sharjah was West Indies’ first win in 14 Tests and first outside the West Indies and Bangladesh since 2007.

It was also the first Test win for their 24-year-old captain Jason Holder.

They last beat Pakistan away from home in 1990.

Kraigg Brathwaite remained not out in both innings, unbeaten 142 in the first innings and 60 not out in the third Test. He received his fourth Man-of-the-Match awards in Tests, most by any West Indies player in the last five years.

Pakistani opener Azhar Ali was the most successful batsman of the Test series with 474 runs, averaging 94.80, including one triple-hundred and two fifties. His 474 runs was the fifth highest series aggregate by a Pakistan opener in a Test series. The last Pakistani opener to score more runs than him in a series was Shoaib Mohammad (507), against New Zealand in 1990-91.

For West Indies Kraigg Brathwaite scored 328 runs with one century and two half-centuries. His average was 82.

Young opener Sami Aslam could be called the find of the Test series. He proved his skills as a Test opener. He scored 281 runs at an average of 46.83 with three fifties.

On the bowling side, as expected, leg-spinner Yasir Shah was on the top. He claimed 21 wickets, averaging 26.85. For West Indies Devendra Bishoo took18 wickets, at an average of 27.

All-rounder Mohammad Nawaz failed to impress. He scored only 50 runs, averaging just 12.50. And he took only five wickets.

Zulfiqar Babar failed, too. He managed only three wickets in two matches at a high average of 49.66.

Now Pakistan team is to play two Tests in New Zealand before three Tests and five ODIs in Australia. Conditions in New Zealand and Australia will be difficult but skipper Misbah is confident that his team will give better results.