MULTAN, Pakistan — In a remarkable display of spin bowling, the West Indies secured a resounding victory over Pakistan by 120 runs, successfully levelling the Test series with an impressive win on the third day of the second and final Test match.
On a pitch that heavily favoured spinners, Pakistan was dismissed for just 133 runs, as they struggled to chase down the 178 runs needed for victory. Jomel Warrican’s left-arm spin proved to be too much for the Pakistani batting line-up on Day 3, marking the West Indies’ first Test win in Pakistan in over three decades, since their last triumph in November 1990 in Faisalabad.
West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite expressed his delight, noting that achieving this victory with a relatively young team was particularly satisfying. He reflected on the conditions, stating, “On this pitch, there’s a ball with your name on it around the corner… it was a good experience. When you get on better pitches, you can have a similar mindset and it will help you in the long run.”
Warrican’s outstanding bowling performance, where he claimed 5 wickets for 27 runs, helped him finish the series as the highest wicket-taker with a total of 19. This defeat pushed Pakistan to the bottom of the World Test Championship table, marking a tough end to their two-year campaign.
Starting the day at 76 for 4, Pakistan quickly lost their overnight pair without scoring. Kevin Sinclair, with figures of 3 for 61, dismissed Saud Shakeel early on, taking a catch in the slips, while Warrican clean-bowled nightwatchman Kashif Ali just a ball later.
Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha tried to counter the spinners, contributing 39 runs between them before both fell victim to Warrican’s spin. Salman barely escaped a stumping earlier but was ultimately out lbw, while Rizwan misread a delivery that spun sharply, leading to his stumps being dislodged.
Warrican then sealed the memorable win for the West Indies by bowling Sajid Khan, concluding the match over an hour before the lunch break on Day 3.
The West Indies’ turnaround was impressive, considering their initial loss in the first Test by 127 runs at the same venue. They found themselves in a precarious situation at 7 for 38 on Day 1 of the second Test, yet their lower-order batsmen managed to recover, helping the team post 163 all out, securing a narrow first-innings lead of nine runs.
Brathwaite’s fifty in the second innings saw the West Indies score 244, leaving Pakistan with a daunting target of 253 runs. Pakistani captain Shan Masood pointed out that his bowlers allowed the opposition’s lower order too many runs in the first innings, which proved detrimental as the match progressed.
Masood acknowledged the need for growth within the team and reflected on the ongoing challenges, stating, “Yes, they batted well, but we have to learn too. It’s been a habit, it happened in South Africa as well.”
The conclusion of this series left the West Indies in eighth place in the World Test Championship standings, while Pakistan ended in ninth, with Australia and South Africa already qualified for the final at Lord’s in June.
Despite the defeat, Masood defended Pakistan’s strategy of creating spin-friendly pitches, which had initially led to three consecutive home victories in their previous four Test matches. He stated, “We’ve won three out of four tests, but even in the game we’ve lost, on the first day we were in the position we wanted. One bad performance can’t have a domino effect. We still have to be brave and replicate conditions.” He concluded, emphasizing the importance of learning from their experiences, stating, “Even when we fail, there are a lot of learnings.”
