Pakistan Trapped in Their Own Strategy, West Indies End 34-Year Drought
Pakistan’s batting crumbled on a turning wicket, which they had hoped would trap West Indies, but it was their own downfall. With a brilliant performance from Jomel Warrican and two other spinners, the West Indies secured a memorable victory, breaking their 34-year drought in Pakistan.
The first two days of the match saw Pakistan teetering on the edge of defeat, and by day three, West Indies wrapped up the game within one session. They triumphed by 120 runs in the Multan Test, drawing the two-match series 1-1.
This win marked West Indies’ first Test victory in Pakistan in over 34 years. Their last win here was in 1990 in Faisalabad, when they defeated Pakistan by 7 wickets under Desmond Haynes’ leadership, with a formidable pace attack. This time, however, it was the spin trio who led them to victory.
The standout performer was Jomel Warrican. After taking 10 wickets in the previous Test, only to lose, he returned with a brilliant 5-wicket haul in the second innings, claiming 9 wickets in total in the match and guiding his team to victory.
Warrican’s performance in this series has been a revelation. Before the tour, he had taken 54 wickets in 17 Test matches, but had never claimed a 5-wicket haul or even 10 wickets in a match. In this series, he took 7 wickets for 32 runs in his career-best performance, followed by a match-winning 5-wicket performance.
Alongside Warrican, Kevin Sinclair took 3 wickets, and Gudakesh Motie contributed with 2 wickets. This marked the fifth time in West Indies’ Test history that all 10 wickets were taken by spinners.
Pakistan, beginning day 3 at 76/4, faltered early as Sinclair dismissed Saud Shakil, and Warrican got rid of nightwatchman Kashif Ali. Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha put up a brief resistance, but Warrican broke the partnership by removing Salman for 15. He then bowled Rizwan out for 25 and wrapped up the innings with the dismissal of Sajid Khan, taking 5 wickets and sealing the win.
On the first day, West Indies were reduced to 38/7 due to Noman Ali’s hat-trick. However, a crucial 68-run partnership between spinners Motie and Warrican provided the much-needed recovery. This collaboration proved valuable in setting up the victory.
Warrican was named the Player of the Series for his 19 wickets and 85 runs. Noman Ali, despite his hat-trick and taking 10 wickets in the match, ended on the losing side.
Match Summary:
- West Indies 1st Innings: 163
- Pakistan 1st Innings: 154
- West Indies 2nd Innings: 244
- Pakistan 2nd Innings: 133 all out (previous day 76/4)
(Scorers: S. Shakil 13, K. Ali 1, M. Rizwan 25, S. Ali Agha 15, S. Khan 7, N. Ali 6, A. Abrar 0*; Motie 11-3-35-2, Sinclair 17-1-61-3, Warrican 16-6-27-5)
Result: West Indies won by 120 runs
Series: 2-match series drawn 1-1
Man of the Match & Series: Jomel Warrican
