Opener Kraigg Brathwaite needed five runs for a fighting hundred as he foiled Pakistan on the second day of the third and final Test in Sharjah on Monday.

Brathwaite anchored the West Indian innings with a 206-ball 95 not out after they were struggling at 38-3, putting two solid stands of 83 each with Roston Chase (50) for the fifth wicket and with Shane Dowrich (47) for the sixth.

At close skipper Jason Holder was unbeaten on six as West Indies were 244-6, just 37 runs away from Pakistan's first innings total of 281.

This gives West Indies a good position for the first time in the series against Pakistan who are targeting a 3-0 clean sweep after winning the first Test by 56 runs in Dubai and the second by 133 runs in Abu Dhabi.

Brathwaite batted solidly as he negotiated Pakistan's spin-cum-pace attack with full confidence, having so far hit ten boundaries.

West Indies lost Jermaine Blackwood for 23 soon after lunch and it looked like they would once again concede a lead but Brathwaite held the innings well with Chase and Dowrich.

Chase hit leg-spinner Yasir Shah for a straight six to bring up his fifty but was caught in the slip off Mohammad Amir in the next over.

Dowrich then complimented Brathwaite as they took West Indies to 234, with Dowrich benefitting from a catch off Wahab Riaz's no ball on 15 and a let-off by Younis Khan on 21.

SCORES IN BRIEF

PAKISTAN: First innings 281 (Aslam 74, Younis 51, Misbah 53, Sarfraz 51, Amir 20; Gabriel 3-67, Joseph 2-57, Bishoo 4-77)

WEST INDIES: First innings 244 for 6 (Brathwaite 95 not out, Blackwood 23, Chase 50, Dowrich 47; Amir 2-44, Riaz 2-65)