Multan, January 19,2025- Pakistan beat West Indies by 127 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the ongoing two-match Test series, thanks to exceptional bowling by the spinners, with Sajid claiming a five-wicket haul.
The test match finished with 3 days despite delayed start on day one due to fogy weather in Multan. In pursuit of a target of 251, the visitors started cautiously but suffered an early blow when skipper Kraigg Brathwaite was dismissed by Sajid after scoring 12, leaving the side struggling at 16/1 in 4.2 overs.
Just two overs later, the right-arm spinner struck again, removing Keacy Carty for six, reducing the team to 26/2 in 6.2 overs. Kavem Hodge became Sajid’s third victim without troubling the scorers, dismissed for a duck, with West Indies at 32/3. The visitors continued to lose wickets cheaply, with Sajid claiming his fourth by dismissing Mikyle Louis for 13, dismantling the Caribbean top order with ease. Noman Ali joined the wicket-taking spree, claiming his first scalp in the second innings by dismissing Greaves for nine, handing the West Indies their fifth blow.
Athanaze and Imlach provided some resistance, building a crucial 41-run partnership for the sixth wicket to ease the pressure. However, their stand was cut short as Abrar Ahmed struck to remove Imlach, giving the opposition their sixth blow.
The mystery spinner continued his impressive spell, breaking a vital 28-run stand by dismissing Sinclair, leaving the visitors with just three wickets in hand as Pakistan closed in on victory. In the following over, the West Indies faced yet another setback when Abrar claimed his third wicket, dismissing Gudakesh Motie for a golden duck, leaving the team struggling at 123/8 after 34 overs.
Sajid Khan then claimed his five-wicket haul by dismissing Alick Athanaze, who played a crucial 55-run knock, leaving the side reeling at 123/9. Abrar finally claimed his fourth wicket after dismissing the final Caribbean batter for a duck, dismantling the West Indies for 123. Pakistan won the Test and took a 1-0 lead. Sajid Khan topped the chart with five wickets, followed by Abrar with four, and Noman Ali with one.
In Pakistan’s second innings, Jomel Warrican wreaked havoc with his career-best figures of 7/32, dismantling the hosts’ batting lineup and restricting them to 157 in 46.4 overs. Resuming their innings at 109/3, Pakistan suffered two early blows within the span of two overs with the dismissals of vice-captain Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan, both scoring just two runs, as Warrican struck twice. At 113/5 in 33.3 overs, the hosts faced another setback when Kamran Ghulam departed after scoring 27 runs.
Warrican was a force to reckon with, registering his maiden fifer and becoming the first West Indies spinner to achieve this feat against Pakistan on their home soil. Noman Ali was the latest victim of Warrican’s delivery, departing after scoring nine runs, leaving the side reeling at 142/7 in 41.4 overs.
The spinner dominated by claiming his seventh wicket, dismissing Sajid Khan for five, aiming to bundle out the hosts within the next half hour of the game.
Pakistan were losing wickets quickly, and a direct hit from Warrican ran out Khurram Shahzad, who did not face a delivery and was dismissed for a duck, leaving the side at 154/9 in 44.5 overs.
Sajid Khan was named man of the match for taking 9 wickets in the match.
