MULTAN, Pakistan — An impressive effort from Gudakesh Motie and Jomel Warrican granted the West Indies a narrow nine-run lead after the first innings against Pakistan, as the opening day of the second test saw a total of 20 wickets fall.
Motie made a significant impact by scoring 55 runs, marking his first half-century in Test cricket, which lifted his team from a precarious position of 54-8 to an eventual total of 163 all out. Following his batting display, the left-arm spinner showcased his bowling skills, taking 3 wickets for 49 runs and helping to dismiss the Pakistani side for 154 runs on the challenging pitch at Multan Cricket Stadium.
Motie’s all-round performance was particularly notable, as it overshadowed Noman Ali’s remarkable achievement of a hat trick, who finished with bowling figures of 6-41. Pakistan’s batsmen fell victim to their own struggles against spin, with Warrican contributing significantly by taking 4 wickets for 43 runs and holding his own with an unbeaten 36 runs at the No. 11 batting position.
A crucial partnership between Mohammad Rizwan (49) and Saud Shakeel (32) seemed to breathe life into the Pakistani innings as they combined for a fifth-wicket stand of 68 runs. However, their ambitions led to their downfall at the hands of Warrican, who dismissed them both in the final session, causing Pakistan’s lower order to collapse swiftly as the day’s play came to a close.
Motie was pivotal in taking out Babar Azam for just 1 run, bowling him out as he tried to play a cut shot off the back foot. He also accounted for Kamran Ghulam (16), which left Pakistan in a dire position at 51-4. Kemar Roach added to the struggle by picking up an lbw against Muhammad Hurraira and then bowled captain Shan Masood, further crippling the home team.
Earlier on, Motie demonstrated his value as a No. 9 batter by forging a partnership of 109 runs with the last two batsmen before the West Indies were bowled out during a lengthy three-hour session. Noman Ali began dismantling the West Indies top order decisively, taking three wickets in his 12th over, marking a historic hat trick as the first Pakistan spinner to accomplish such a feat in Test cricket.
Unlike the first test, where the West Indies struggled against spin and were bowled out for totals of 137 and 123 in just three days, their batsmen faced more challenges on another difficult surface with three spinners from the opposition. Nevertheless, Motie fought back, forming a resilient 41-run partnership with Roach (25) and later, another sturdy 68-run partnership with Warrican.
Making his debut, fast bowler Kashif Ali found success quickly, dismissing Mikyle Louis. Captain Kraigg Brathwaite was also trapped leg before wicket by Sajid Khan, allowing Ali to continue his strong start with another lbw call against Brathwaite.
Noman Ali’s hat trick was a highlight, with Greaves caught behind by Babar Azam, Imlach missing a review for lbw, and Sinclair falling victim to another stunning catch by Babar in the slip. Before Ali, only four Pakistani fast bowlers — Wasim Akram, Abdul Razzaq, Mohammad Sami, and Naseem Shah — had made a mark by achieving a hat trick in Test matches, with Akram accomplishing this feat twice against Sri Lanka back in 1999.
In terms of squad changes, West Indies brought in fast bowler Roach for the injured Jayden Seals and debuted No. 3 batter Amir Jangoo in place of the struggling Keacy Carty. Both teams find themselves at the bottom of the World Test Championship standings, with Pakistan at No. 8 and the West Indies at No. 9, while Australia and South Africa have already secured their spots for the WTC final at Lord’s in June.
