MULTAN, Pakistan — Pakistan’s batting revival was spearheaded by crucial contributions from Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan, who lifted the team’s score to 143-4 after a shaky start on the first day of the Test match against West Indies on Friday.
Shakeel remained unbeaten with a score of 56, while Rizwan also ended the day at 51 not out. Their partnership proved vital as they worked to stabilize the innings on a challenging dry pitch that favored spin bowlers.
The match commenced with a significant delay of four hours due to heavy fog and mist in Multan, which impacted visibility. Early on, Pakistan struggled when fast bowler Jayden Seales struck thrice, leaving them reeling at 46-4 within the first hour of play.
However, Shakeel and Rizwan’s unbroken partnership of 97 runs provided a solid foundation later in the day, with the last hour alone yielding 57 runs as they increased the scoring rate. Both players employed effective footwork against the West Indies’ spinners, making strategic shots and capitalizing on any loose deliveries after the tea break.
Both teams opted for three specialist spinners, but it was Seales who made the most significant early impression with the new ball. Left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie also made it difficult for the batters during his uninterrupted 14-over spell, which produced notable turn for the slow bowlers right from the start, after Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat.
Seales struck first in his third over, extracting an outside edge from debutant Mohammad Hurraira, who managed just six runs. Captain Shan Masood followed shortly after, getting caught down the leg-side off Motie, which marked the second catch for debutant Tevin Imlach.
Seales maintained his meticulous line and length in a nine-over opening spell that consistently challenged the Pakistani players with his seam and swing. Kamran Ghulam’s dismissal for just five runs came when he was struck lbw by a precise in-swinger in a moment that followed a brief four-run boundary.
Seales continued his successful run by claiming the important wicket of Babar Azam, who edged behind after a tense start, departing for a mere eight runs.
Currently, Pakistan sits at No. 8 and West Indies at No. 9 on the World Test Championship points table, both teams having struggled in the previous year. Australia and South Africa have secured spots in the WTC final set for June 11-15 at Lord’s.
Pakistan has faced challenges, with eight losses in their last ten Test matches, while West Indies has not managed to secure a Test series victory in the current WTC cycle, having lost to teams like India, England, and South Africa, alongside drawing with Australia and Bangladesh.
One of Pakistan’s two victories came on the same ground against England, on a similarly tailored dry pitch that benefitted their spin bowlers Sajid Khan and Noman Ali.
The West Indies squad adjusted by dropping vice-captain Joshua Da Silva, who had underperformed in the recent warm-up against Pakistan Shaheens, and the team is also missing fast bowler Kemar Roach due to illness.
