West Indies spinner Jomel Warrican continued his momentum, bagging four wickets to help West Indies bundle out Pakistan for 154 on the opening day of the second Test at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
After being bundled out for 163, the West Indies' morale remained high, with their bowlers once again not disappointing their captain, Kraigg Brathwaite. The West Indies had brought back seasoned campaigner Kemar Roach, who took two quick wickets, removing Shan Masood (15) and Muhammad Hurraira (9).
Babar Azam once again could not deliver with the bat and was removed by Motie on his fifth ball for 1. Kamran Ghulam looked good at the start but could not stay long at the crease, scoring 16.
Pakistan were four down for 51 when Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan looked to rebuild Pakistan's innings.
The pair added 68 runs off 105 balls before Warrican broke the stand by removing Shakeel (32). Rizwan was on the verge of scoring fifty but was removed by Warrican for 49.
Salman Ali Agha, Noman Ali, Abrar Ahmed and debutant Kashif Ali all failed to show any significant resistance.
For the West Indies, Jomel Warrican (4-42) spearheaded the bowling attack and picked up four crucial wickets. Gudakesh Motie (3-49) took three wickets, while Kemar Roach (2-15) took two wickets.
Kevin Sinclair (0-42) and Kraigg Brathwaite (0-1) did not take any wickets.
The West Indies started their second innings with a lead of nine runs from their first innings.
Earlier, Pakistan found themselves in trouble during the first innings of the ongoing match after the West Indies were bundled out for just 163.
Motie, who had been in fine form for the day, struck first, sending Pakistan batter Kamran Ghulam back to the pavilion. The Pakistan batsman, having faced 41 balls and scored 16 runs, pushed at a delivery angled in around the off-stump, only to see the ball go straight to Alick Athanaze at bat-pad on the offside.
Athanaze took a sharp catch, sending Ghulam back to the dressing room.
Roach then joined the attack, and his sharp seam movement was too much for Shan Masood, who was dismissed for 15 off 27 balls. Roach's delivery came in sharply, brushing Masood's front pad and breaking the stumps. "He tried to play the front foot drive stroke but was beaten by the sharp seam movement," the commentator remarked. This left Pakistan at a precarious 25/3.
Motie, continuing his fine bowling, was responsible for another breakthrough when he dismissed Babar Azam for just 1. The flighted delivery darted on the off-stump, keeping low, and Azam was unable to make contact with the ball while attempting a cut shot, leaving the off-stump exposed.
Roach wasn’t done yet and struck again, sending Muhammad Hurraira back for just 9 runs. The ball angled in on the off-stump and Hurraira, trying to play off the front foot, was beaten by the seam movement, resulting in a massive appeal and an LBW decision. After reviewing the call, Ultra Edge confirmed there was no bat involved, and the ball-tracking showed the ball would have hit the leg stump.
Earlier, West Indies were bowled out for 163 in just 42 overs, following a devastating spell from Pakistan’s Noman Ali, who claimed six wickets in a remarkable performance.
According to details, West Indies’ innings, which seemed to be on the verge of recovery, fell apart when Ali took control with the ball.
The lower order showed some resistance, as Gudakesh Motie and Jomel Warrican formed a valuable 68-run stand. This partnership helped West Indies pass the 150 mark, but the damage was done by Noman Ali, whose brilliance overshadowed their efforts.
Sajid Khan, a key figure in the Pakistan bowling attack, contributed by taking two wickets for 64 runs. Kashif Ali (1-16) and Abrar Ahmed (1-24) added to the pressure with a wicket each. However, Salman Ali Agha went wicketless, finishing with figures of 0-10 from just two overs.
Noman Ali dismissed Gudakesh Motie, who had fought valiantly for 55 runs off 87 balls
The spinner delivered a masterclass in the spin bowling and claimed a spectacular hat-trick
Ali, bowling from around the wicket, turned the tide when he dismissed Justin Greaves, Tevin Imlach and Kevin Sinclair in consecutive deliveries.
The left-arm spinner’s clever variations in flight and line proved too challenging for the West Indian batters, who struggled to counter his guile.
The spell began with Justin Greaves’ dismissal, who edged a turning delivery to Babar Azam at gully. Ali then trapped Tevin Imlach leg-before wicket with a fuller ball that the batter failed to sweep. The hat-trick was sealed when Kevin Sinclair, facing his first ball, nicked a flighted delivery to the slip cordon, where Azam made no mistake.
West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite had earlier reviewed his leg-before dismissal to Ali but found no relief as ball tracking confirmed the delivery would have clipped the stumps. His departure for nine runs left the visitors vulnerable.
Sajid Khan provided able support from the other end and picked up crucial wickets, including that of Alick Athanaze, who was caught plumb in front while attempting an ambitious reverse sweep.
Kashif, representing Pakistan for the first time, struck in his opening over to remove Mikyle Louis, who edged a delivery that held its line outside off-stump. Sajid, bowling with guile, trapped Amir Jangoo in front of the stumps with a delivery that skidded on without much turn. Despite a review, the decision stood, leaving Jangoo dismissed for a duck on his debut.
In his second over, Kashif delivered a probing spell and challenged Kraigg Brathwaite and Kavem Hodge with sharp movement and disciplined lines. His deliveries nipped back sharply, testing the defensive technique of the batsmen. Kashif conceded a boundary to Hodge, who took advantage of a loose delivery to score the first four of the innings.
Sajid continued to trouble the batsmen and varied his pace effectively while extracting turn from the surface. A stifled appeal for leg-before against Hodge was turned down, but Sajid’s consistent accuracy restricted the scoring rate.
At the close of the fifth over, West Indies were precariously placed at 17 for 2, with Brathwaite and Hodge failing to establish a partnership. Kashif and Sajid had recorded identical figures of 1 for 6 and 1 for 10, respectively, showcasing their dominance.
