Watch cricket video highlights of West Indies tour of Pakistan 2025. Second Test between Pakistan and West Indies. Venue of the match will be Multan.
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The opening day of the second Test match against the West Indies in Multan showed that head coach Aaqib Javed had fulfilled his promise that Pakistan could set up a spin-friendly track wherever in the nation. Once again, spin was rampant as both teams finished within nine runs of one another and 20 wickets were lost. In the morning session, Pakistan dominated the visitors thanks to a hat-trick from Noman Ali, the first by a Pakistani spinner in Test cricket.
Before a spectacular comeback by the final three batsmen pulled the West Indies to the relative safety of 163, they had been down to 54 for 8 at one point. When West Indies acquired possession of the ball, it became evident that two of them could play the spin game. Gudakesh Motie and Jomel Warrican shared seven wickets each, while Kemar Roach tore through Pakistan’s top order. Pakistan collapsed for 154, with only Saud Shakeel and Muhammad Rizwan putting up a fight.
When the West Indies won the toss and were given the opportunity to bat first in the morning, they got what they wanted. However, it didn’t take them long to go into trouble as Mikyle Louis got Pakistan going in the second over by poking behind to Rizwan. Five balls later, Sajid Khan smacked debutant Amir Jangoo plumb in front, and Pakistan was on its way. In their short partnership, Kraigg Brathwaite and Kavem Hodge held off the spinners at first and defeated fast bowler Kashif Ali. But there was bloodletting once that stand was punctured.
West Indies dropped from 32 for 2 to 38 for 7 after losing five wickets in the following 13 deliveries. Noman scored his hat-trick with a variety of deliveries after three balls at the beginning of the 12th over. Tevin Imlach missed a sweep to a straight one, and Justin Greaves had the advantage thanks to a bit of more bounce. Noman pushed it in quickly and found some spin off the field as nearly everyone gathered around the bat for the hat-trick ball. Kevin Sinclair’s cautious prod was far too successful, as Noman got his hat-trick.
The events of the last hour before lunch, however, demonstrated that although the wicket was quite favorable to spin, it wasn’t necessarily unplayable. In this match, the West Indies’ bottom three replicated their historic achievement from the previous Test match, when they were the three highest scores in an innings for the first time ever. In order to help lead the West Indies out of danger, Motie, Roach, and Warrican created a clever blend of determined temperament and entertaining flair.
Before the former’s failed sweep handed Noman his fifth wicket, Roach and Motie put up 41 for the ninth wicket. However, Motie and Warrican collaborated to make yet another significant contribution. A combination of good-cop and bad-cop was used as Warrican slapped the spinners from the opposite end while Motie blocked their path. Despite all odds, the last stand stretched above 137 to give the West Indies their biggest total of the series, and lunch was prolonged.
Before Motie mentioned his personal half-century, Warrican brought up the 50-partnership with a stroke down the ground. A session that started with complete Pakistan control finished on a somewhat more neutral note when Motie missed a slog sweep from Noman that rattled his off stump just before lunch. Even on this surface, the West Indies trusted Roach as a fast bowler, and he proved why in the opening hour.
He dragged Mohammad Hurraira forward and then rapped him on the front pad with a ball that seamed in to draw first blood, getting the fresh ball to nip both ways in the air and off the seam. Within 14 balls, it was the first of three wickets. Motie’s lack of bounce beat Babar Azam, who attempted to cut off the back foot but missed the cut, causing the ball to fall off stump. 163 appeared far away when Shan Masood played all around another Roach ball that came back into him, upsetting the stumps once again.
Playing survival cricket during a play that threatened Pakistan, Shakeel and Kamran Ghulam dug in. Over the course of the following 30 minutes, they reduced the strain on themselves and stopped the West Indies’ momentum as the partnership gradually increased and saw Pakistan reach 50. Shakeel and Rizwan took over after Ghulam’s forward defensive shot to Motie struck him high on the bat and Alick Athanaze made a quick catch.
Throughout the day, they appeared more confident than any batter from either team: Rizwan returned pressure to the opposition while Shakeel took it. Rizwan’s use of the feet, field manipulation, and sweep stroke started the runs moving, putting pressure on the West Indies’ first-innings total and offering the most obvious example of how to bat under difficult conditions. However, the West Indies regained control after some brilliant play in the field and later with the ball.
Roach at long-on was intrigued by Shakeel’s misplaced shot as he attempted to jab Warrican through midwicket. The seasoned seamer hurt himself as he sprang forward at full stretch to make a catch. With the wind in his sails, Warrican quickly and gracefully removed Rizwan. One of them spun wildly, leaving Rizwan high and dry halfway down the crease, allowing Imlach plenty of time to whip the bails off. Running through the lower order was not an issue for Pakistan or the West Indies.
After losing their last six wickets for 35 runs, Pakistan was run out on the 20th of the day due to a mix-up between Sajid and Kashif. The bowlers received it as a present on a day when they didn’t need it.
