Pakistan defeated the West Indies by 9 runs in the 2nd T20I and took an unassailable 2-0 lead

Pakistan beat the resurgent West Indies in a thrilling finish with nine runs and won their second Twenty20 international match in Karachi on Tuesday. For the home team, Mohammad Rizwan scored 38 top scores in a second straight game to lift Pakistan to 172-8 before reducing the West Indies to 163 in 20 overs. The victory brings Pakistan another series with the last game on Thursday, also in Karachi.

Brendon King hit a flowing 43-ball 67 - his first half-century T20I - with three towering sixes and six borders, but the Pakistani bowlers were difficult to handle for other batsmen. Romario Shepherd tried to stop the inevitable with a fiery 19-ball 35 that wasn't flavored with two sixes and as many limits, but failed to get the required 23 from the final over.

The lanky pacemaker Shaheen Shah Afridi (3-26), the other fast bowlers Mohammad Wasim (2-39) and Haris Rauf (2-40) and the spinner Mohammad Nawaz (2-36) shared the bowling honors. With 61 taken in the last five overs, King heaved Pacer Haris up for a Big Six but dropped the next ball while attempting another maximum that was caught near the long-on limit.

Nicholas Pooran (26 of as many balls) helped King add 54 for the third wicket, but Nawaz ended the partnership with Pooran down. Odean Smith hit a six and a line in his short stint of 12 before Shaheen got him off the first ball of the 17th. Iftikhar Ahmed (32) and Haider Ali (31) got off to a good start for Pakistan Rizwan, but missed the big blow.

Read Cricket News | Watch: Pakistan's Shaheen Shah Afridi takes 3 wickets in one over in the second T20I against the West Indies

Skipper Babar Azam failed again, only scoring seven with a limit before exiting a sharp single point to the backward point. Fakhar Zaman also flopped for a second straight match when he was caught off guard by Pooran from spinner Akeal Hosein for ten and Pakistan fell back to 38-2.

Rizwan, who hit four boundaries and a six in his 30-ball knock, added 48 for the third wicket with Haider, but both fell to medium-paced Smith, who was the bowlers' choice at 2-24. Iftikhar Ahmed cracked two sixes and a limit in his 19-ball knock, while Shadab Khan cracked three sixes and a limit in his 12-ball 28 not out.

Those fiery blows have helped Pakistan score 59 in the last five overs. Pakistan kept the same team from their first game while the West Indies brought in Hayden Walsh for Devon Thomas.