Fresh from a workman-like first innings century despite defeat in the second Test, Ali was again a model of composure in progressing towards another significant innings after over five hours at the crease during which he faced 219 deliveries, stroking two sixes and seven fours.

His confidence dented after enduring the indignity of a “pair” in that loss in Barbados, Azam was less assured at the start of his innings and needed a generous slice of luck to get to his second half-century of the series. Leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo should have claimed his wicket but the right-hander, on 28, was badly missed by wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich just as play resumed in the early afternoon following the first of two stoppages for a steady, persistent drizzle.

That lapse added to the increasing list of costly errors in the field for the West Indies during this 2017 international season in the Caribbean as the pair extended their second-wicket partnership to 120 when Azam eventually departed in a long final session, offering a simple catch to Kieran Powell at first slip off Alzarri Joseph.

Younis Khan, who together with captain Misbah ul Haq is playing his farewell Test, will resume in partnership with Ali on the second morning, weather permitting.

Further compounding the home side’s woes after Jason Holder won the toss and chose to bowl first in heavily overcast conditions was the lack of potency of his prime opening bowler, Shannon Gabriel.

Although economical, Gabriel could not recapture the hostility that wrecked Pakistan’s second innings on the final day of the second Test in Barbados.

Sharing the new ball with Gabriel, Joseph was completely out of sorts in his first spell, prompting the introduction of Roston Chase’s off-spin within the first hour’s play.

That resulted in the visitors’ only casualty of the morning. Shan Masood, playing his first match of the series in place of the unwell Ahmed Shehzad, reached nine off 30 deliveries and prodded indecisively at a delivery from Chase for Holder to take the straightforward catch at second slip.

Apart from the recall of Masood, Hasan Ali is making his debut at the expense of leg-spinner Shadab Khan, who struggled in his first appearance in the second Test.

Pakistan have never won a Test series in the Caribbean on seven previous tours while the West Indies are seeking a first Test series triumph in five years against a team ranked higher than themselves.

Scoreboard at stumps on the opening day of the third and final Test between the West Indies and Pakistan at Windsor Park in Dominica on Wednesday.

Pakistan have been on a roll since their 2-2 series draw in England in August, which briefly lifted them to number one position in world cricket`s Test rankings for the first time.

Arch-rivals India relegated Pakistan to number two with recent victory over New Zealand but Misbah-ul-Haq`s men have a prime opportunity to close the gap in the three-match series against the West Indies and are strong favourites.

Pakistan captain Misbah said he was relishing the prospect of a day-night Test, where play will be from 3:30 pm to 10:30 pm (1130 GMT to 1830 GMT) with two breaks of 30 minutes, in what is nominally a “home” series for Pakistan.

“It`s exciting because I think the future belongs to day-night Tests,” said Misbah, whose team will be missing senior batsman Younis Khan, recovering from dengue fever.

Pakistan have included in-form batsman Babar Azam, 21, for his first Test after he racked up 360 runs during the one-day series against the West Indies.

But misfiring openers Mohammad Hafeez and Shan Masood have been axed from the squad which levelled the four-match Test series against England.

The West Indies, routed by Pakistan 3-0 in both Twenty20 and one-day series preceding the Tests, come in as clear underdogs.

Coach Phil Simmons, who guided them to the World Twenty20 title in April this year, was sacked prior to this tour after the team lost 2-0 to India in a four-match series in August.

But captain Jason Holder said the West Indies — down in eighth in the Test rankings — are ready to bounce back.

“We have some new faces in Tests so we will do our best,” said Holder.

Experts, however, see Pakistan`s spin duo of Yasir Shah and Zulfiqar Babar proving too much for the spin-wary West Indian batsmen, especially in the unfamiliar day-night format with the pink ball and under lights. Australia staged the inaugural day-night Test against New Zealand in Adelaide last November — the first in Test cricket`s 140-year history.

The innovation has been brought in to address the dwindling crowds in Test cricket — floodlit matches encourage those at work during the day to attend — and has met with initial success.

The Adelaide Test attracted 123,000 spectators and an average television audience of two million.

But players from both sides complained about the pink ball’s movement and durability, as well as the difficulty batsmen faced seeing it under lights.

Pakistan have accumulated more experience than the West Indies under lights, adopting the coloured ball concept six years ago for the final of their domestic premier first-class tournament.

Pakistan have more than one reason to do well in Dubai — as well as grabbing a slice of Test history the match is their 400th Test since playing their first in India in 1952.

A win will not only cap a historic occasion but will also give Pakistan momentum for their pink-ball Tests in Australia in December.

The remaining two Tests against the West Indies will be in Abu Dhabi (October 21-25) and Sharjah (October 30-November 3).

Teams (from): Pakistan: Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Azhar Ali, Sami Aslam, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Sarfraz Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Amir, Wahab Riaz, Yasir Shah, Zulfiqar Babar, Rahat Ali, Sohail Khan, Imran Khan

West Indies: Jason Holder (captain), Kraigg Brathwaite (vice captain), Devendra Bishoo, Jermaine Blackwood, Carlos Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Roston Chase, Miguel Cummins, Shane Dowrich, Shannon Gabriel, Shai Hope, Leon Johnson, Alzarri Joseph, Marlon Samuels, Jomel Warrican

Umpires: Richard Illingworth (ENG) and Paul Reiffel (AUS) TV umpire: Ian Gould (ENG), Match referee: Jeff Corwe (NZL).

A monumental 117 by Azhar Ali may not be sufficient to deprive a probable Sri Lankan victory against Pakistan at the P. Sara Oval as they are in pursuit of 153 runs to win and square the three Test series. The Pakistanis were dismissed for 329 in their second innings at the stroke of tea on the fourth day of the second Test yesterday.

Play was called off before Sri Lanka began their run chase around 4.00 pm due to rain with Sri Lanka needing 153 runs to win. Play is scheduled to commence at 9.45 am today.

Spearheaded by an inspired spell of medium pace bowling by Dammika Prasad who took 4 for 92 in the second innings and 3 wickets in the first innings and also striking an useful 35 runs while batting has contributed immensely towards the success of the team in the on going Test.

Younis made 148 and Azhar was unbeaten on 127, the pair having shared a third-wicket stand of 250 to rescue the tourists from 58-2 after Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim won the toss and elected to field in Dhaka.

Both batsmen were lucky to reach three figures after being reprieved by no-balls even as Bangladesh struggled to overcome the loss of strike bowler Shahadat Hossain in the day’s first over.

Shahadat, who replaced the injured Rubel Hossain for the decisive Test, collapsed on his follow through after sending down the first ball and hobbled off the field after his second delivery.

Shahadat returned after the morning drinks break, and even though he did not bowl for the rest of the session, he took a catch in the deep to dismiss Sami Aslam.

However, Shahadat succumbed to injury again while training during the lunch break and had to be lifted away on a stretcher.

Chief selector Faruque Ahmed said the 28-year-old seamer had injured his right knee and was unlikely to take any further part in the match.

Left with a depleted attack, Bangladesh used nine bowlers to try to contain the run flow, with Rahim and Tamim Iqbal the only ones who did not turn their arms over.

Part-time seamer Soumya Sarkar would have dismissed Younis on 78, caught in the covers from a mistimed drive, but TV replays showed the bowler had overstepped to concede a no-ball.

Similarly, Azhar escaped on 18 when he was caught in the slips off Mohammad Shahid, only to see TV umpire Ranmore Martinesz confirm a no-ball.

Azhar’s dismissal at the stage would have reduced Pakistan to 38-2 after Bangladesh had removed one of the openers cheaply.

Mohammad Hafeez, who hit a double-century in the drawn first Test in Khulna, was caught behind off Shahid for eight.

Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam had Sami Aslam caught by Shahadat on the mid-wicket boundary for 19, but Younis and Azhar settled in to tame the depleted attack.

“I love to score for my team,” said Younis, the 37-year-old veteran of 98 Tests, who hit 11 boundaries and three sixes in his 29th Test century.

“When the team is under pressure and needs me, it feels nice to get a century because it is good both for me and the team.

“Partnerships are always the key. Azhar and I got together and had a big one today. But we need to keep up the good work tomorrow also,” he said.

Azhar, who reached his eighth hundred by lofting Taijul for his 10th four, added three more boundaries before stumps.

Younis was dismissed by the hard-working Shahid five overs before stumps when he slashed a short ball to gully, where Shuvagata Hom made no mistake.

Captain Misbah-ul Haq was unbeaten on nine at stumps with Pakistan well-placed to build a huge total and put the hosts under pressure.

Shahid, who took two of the three wickets, rued the injury to team-mate Shahadat, saying the outcome may have been different if he had been bowling at the other end.

“This is definitely a pace bowler’s wicket,” he said. “There was grass on the pitch, there was movement and we were getting a lot out of it.

“I wish Shahadat was around to bowl. Hopefully things will work out better for us tomorrow. “