Amir's five-for headlines rain-hit day

Mohammad Amir claimed his first five-wicket haul since that fateful Lord's Test in 2010 to leave West Indies at 278 for 9 before rain put an end to a wet, miserable day in which only 11.3 overs were possible. The morning session was wiped out after the covers had leaked moisture on to the pitch. That, along with an outfield so wet that it had to be dried by lighting a fire over it, meant that over four hours had passed from the scheduled start when the players finally took the field.

Jason Holder and Devendra Bishoo, carrying over a flamboyant partnership from the first day, were much more sedate now that Amir and Mohammad Abbas were in the attack. However, despite the heavy cloud cover, the new ball wasn't nearly as lively as Pakistan might have hoped, and the batsmen looked fairly comfortable for the first half hour. But, soon after, Bishoo perished reaching for a delivery from Amir that was well outside off stump, getting a faint edge that carried comfortably to Sarfraz Ahmed.

Holder, sensing he was running out of partners, took the attack to Abbas, walking down the track to launch him over mid-off for six, bringing up a brisk half-century. Next ball, he went from destructive to delicate, opening the face of his bat to guide the ball through the slips and taking his side closer to 300.

Amir then had a whole over to bowl at Alzarri Joseph, and that was never going to end well for the No. 10 batsman. If Bishoo's dismissal was scrappy, the one to dismiss Joseph and complete his five-wicket haul was all class. Class of 2009-10, to be precise. Not getting swing from over the wicket, Amir switched angles to Joseph, pitching the ball up at pace from around the wicket. It tailed in slightly, and crashed into Joseph's off stump. Joseph could perhaps find some solace in the fact that the delivery would have done in many of his team-mates batting higher up the order.

There was just enough time left for No. 11 Shannon Gabriel to play the shot of the day, driving Amir sweetly down the ground for four to take the West Indies total to 278. Two balls later, the heavens opened once more, forcing the players off the field for good. It might have felt like a wasted day, but you try telling Amir that.