MULTAN – Jomel Warrican, Gudakesh Motie and Kemar Roach were at the forefront of a superb West Indies fightback against Pakistan yesterday, on a dramatic opening day in which 20 wickets fell in the second Test at the Multan Cricket Stadium.
Batting at No. 9, Motie scored his maiden Test half-century and, together with Warrican and Roach, helped to rescue the Windies from the dire straits of 38-7. The three combined to add 125 runs before the West Indies were eventually dismissed for 163 in 41.1 overs in the morning session.
Left-arm spinner Noman Ali was the main destroyer for Pakistan, finishing with six for 41, becoming the first Pakistan spinner to bag a Test hat-trick in the process.
Warrican then returned to take four wickets for 43, while Motie took three for 49 and Roach two for 15, to orchestrate a dramatic middle-order collapse as Pakistan were bowled out for 154 in the final session, giving the Windies a slender nine-run first-innings lead.
But it was the West Indies’ three tail-enders who stole the show, showing grit and determination that was evidently missing from the top-order batsmen.
After winning the toss and electing to bat, the visitors found themselves in trouble early when Mikyle Louis became the first Test wicket for debutant Kashif Ali, edging him behind for just four.
Amir Jangoo then had a nightmare start to his Test career when he was dismissed for a duck, lbw to off-spinner Sajid Khan, as the Windies slipped to 9-2.
Skipper Kraigg Brathwaite made just nine before he was trapped lbw by Noman Ali, and when Ali snared the wickets of Justin Greaves, Tevin Imlach and Kevin Sinclair in successive deliveries in the 12th over, the West Indies slumped to 38-7.
Kavem Hodge’s defiant 21 then came to an end when he was dismissed by Abrar Ahmed with the score 54-8, to leave only the tail.
However, Roach added 41 with Motie to carry the total to 95 before he became Noman Ali’s fifth victim, out lbw for 25 from 45 balls.
Warrican joined Motie and the pair frustrated Pakistan’s bowlers in a 68-run stand for the last wicket.
They both had luck on their sides, with Motie being dropped by Salman Agha at slip when he was 39, while Agha floored a difficult return catch when Warrican was 26.
Motie took advantage of the opportunity to bring up his first Test half-century off 81 balls when he drove Noman Ali down to long-on for a single.
Ali got his revenge in his next over, though, comprehensively bowling Motie to bring the innings to an end just before the lunch break. Motie faced 87 balls and struck four boundaries, while Warrican was unbeaten on 36 from 40 balls with two sixes and one four.
Following on from the exploits of their bowlers, Pakistan were hoping to gain a sizeable first-innings lead and take control of the contest.
However, veteran pacer Roach dismissed openers Muhammad Hurraira and Shan Masood and Motie bowled Babar Azam to leave the home side wobbling on 25-3.
When Athanaze held on to a good catch at slip to account for the wicket of Kamran Ghulam off the bowling of Motie, Pakistan were in trouble at 51-4.
The heroes of the first Test, Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan, shared a 68-run stand for the fifth wicket to put the hosts back in the ascendancy.
However, once Warrican dismissed Shakeel for 32 and Rizwan was stumped off his bowling for 49, the rest of the batting collapsed to give the West Indies an unlikely lead. (CMC)
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