MULTAN – West Indies faced blow as Pakistani bowles displayed a dominant display of spin bowling, as Noman Ali led his team’s charge, claiming a remarkable six-wicket haul.
West Indies’ decision to bat backfired almost immediately as debutant Kashif Ali made an early breakthrough in the second over, sending Mikyle Louis back for just four runs. Pakistan’s spinners, Sajid Khan and Noman Ali, continued to make life difficult for the Caribbean side. Sajid dismissed Amir Jangoo for a duck, and Noman removed captain Kraigg Brathwaite for just nine runs, leaving West Indies in deep trouble at 32/3.
Sajid struck again to remove Alick Athanaze for a duck, reducing the visitors to 32/4, and the real turning point came with Noman Ali’s historic hat-trick. The Pakistan spinner sent Justin Greaves, Tevin Imlach, and Kevin Sinclair packing off consecutive deliveries, leaving West Indies reeling at 38/7. Noman Ali’s hat-trick made him the first-ever Pakistani spinner to claim such a feat in a Test match, adding another milestone to his career.
Abrar later dismissed Kavem Hodge for 21, further crippling the West Indies at 54/8. Although Kemar Roach and Gudakesh Motie fought back with a vital 41-run stand for the ninth wicket, Noman dismissed Roach for 25, leaving the score at 95/9. Motie and Warrican added 68 runs for the final wicket, with Motie bringing up his first half ton in Test.
The second Test promises to be an exciting contest as Pakistan will look to clean sweep with 2-0 while Windies are hopeful to level series.
Kashif Ali making Debut for Shaheens
Young talent Kashif Ali is set to make his debut in place of Khurram Shahzad. Kashif’s inclusion follows a strong run of performances in first-class cricket, including a five-wicket haul against Sri Lanka in November.
He will be Pakistan’s sole fast bowler in a spin-heavy lineup that includes star spinners Sajid Khan, Noman Ali, and Abrar Ahmed. This marks the only change from the victorious squad in the first Test, where Pakistan defeated the West Indies by 127 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the series.
Pakistan’s top order will feature young opener Muhammad Huraira, captain Shan Masood, and star batter Babar Azam, while Kamran Ghulam, vice-captain Saud Shakeel, wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan, and all-rounder Salman Ali Agha will form the middle order.
Pakistan’s spin-heavy approach was pivotal in their first Test victory and has been a key component of their success in recent series, including their win over England in October.
Pakistan take 1-0 lead in the series, as Sajid Khan’s remarkable five-wicket haul guided hosts to commanding 127-run victory over the West Indies in the first Test. Sajid delivered standout performance, claiming 5 wickets for 50 runs on the third day of the match, bringing his total to nine wickets in the game.
He was well-supported by fellow spinner Abrar Ahmed, who took 4 wickets for 27 runs, helping Pakistan bowl out the West Indies for just 123 runs. The West Indies had been set a challenging target of 251 runs for victory, but their batting collapse ensured Pakistan’s dominant win. With this victory.
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