Multan Test: Motie and Warrican Lead WI Resurgence Against Pakistan on Spin-Focused Day 1
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Synopsis
In a thrilling day's play at the Multan Cricket Stadium, the West Indies ended Day 1 of the second Test against Pakistan with a slim nine-run lead. Gudakesh Motie and Jomel Warrican played pivotal roles in both batting and bowling, while Noman Ali made headlines with a historic Test hat-trick.
Key Takeaways
- West Indies holds a nine-run lead after Day 1.
- Noman Ali achieved a historic Test hat-trick.
- Gudakesh Motie scored a crucial 55 runs.
- Jomel Warrican contributed with both bat and ball.
- Pakistan collapsed from a promising 130/6 to 154 all out.
Multan, Jan 25 (NationPress) It was an exhilarating day of cricket during the second Test match between the West Indies and Pakistan at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Saturday, where the visiting team concluded the day with a narrow nine-run advantage.
After winning the toss, the West Indies chose to bat first but faced overwhelming pressure from Pakistan. The wickets of Mikyle Louis (4) and Amir Jangoo (0) fell in quick succession. Captain Kraigg Brathwaite (9) and Alick Athanaze (0) followed suit in the ninth and tenth overs respectively, with the former becoming Norman Ali's first victim of the day.
The left-arm spinner made history by becoming the first Pakistani spinner to achieve a Test hat-trick, showcasing his remarkable form in the 11th over of the innings. Ali lured Justin Greaves into a forward lunge, but the turn and bounce misled him, resulting in a thick edge that was securely caught by Babar Azam at gully.
Next, Noman trapped the new batter Tevin Imlach in front of his stumps as the wicketkeeper attempted a planned sweep but misjudged the length, leading to an LBW decision. Ali then outsmarted Kevin Sinclair with his turn, inducing a thick outside edge that flew directly into Babar Azam's hands, completing his hat-trick.
Nevertheless, Gudakesh Motie (55) rescued the West Indies from a potential collapse, forming partnerships of 49 and 68 with Kemar Roach (25) and Jomel Warrican (36 not out) for the final two wickets, pushing the team's total to 163.
Roach and Motie continued their impressive performance with the ball, sending Pakistan's top order into disarray with early dismissals of Shan Masood (19), Muhammad Hurraira (9), and Babar Azam (1). Saud Shakeel (32) and Mohammad Rizwan (49) contributed significantly in stabilizing the innings before both fell victim to Warrican. Pakistan spiraled downwards from that point, getting bowled out for 154 runs despite being at 130/6 at the time of Rizwan's dismissal. The West Indies will enter Day 2 of the match with a nine-run lead over the hosts.
Brief scores:
West Indies 163 all out in 47.1 overs (Gudakesh Motie 55, Jomel Warrican 36 not out; Noman Ali 6-41) lead Pakistan 154 all out in 47 overs (Mohammad Rizwan 49, Saud Shakeel 32; Jomel Warrican 4-43, Gudakesh Motie 3-49) by 9 runs
