Watch cricket video highlights of West Indies tour of Pakistan 2025. First Test between Pakistan and West Indies. Venue of the match will be Multan.
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Following Jayden Seales’ triple-strike that placed the West Indies in the box seat in Multan, half-centuries from Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan helped Pakistan regain momentum. The fast bowler was the most effective on a surface designed for spin, using pace and some seam movement to dismiss debutants Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, and Mohammad Hurraira for single digits. By then, Pakistan was down 46 for 4, with the West Indies hanging menacingly over the tail.
To guarantee that Pakistan would finish the day with some kind of control, Rizwan and Shakeel put up a tough, undefeated 97-run rearguard for the fifth wicket, which kept the visitors at bay for the remainder of the day. Pakistan won the toss and batted first in foggy conditions with floodlights on all day after the start was postponed by four hours due to dense fog that covered the stadium. Gudakesh Motie, a left-arm spinner, delivered the opening ball, demonstrating how both teams viewed the pitch when they each used three specialist spinners.
Early on, Motie dismissed Pakistan captain Shan Masood by shoving him to the on-side debutant wicketkeeper Tevin Imlach, but Seales dominated the remainder of the hour. Hurraira held his bat out and edged to the keeper, rewarding him for smelling from the beginning. Kamran Ghulam had just sent an outswinger to the boundary when a beauty arrived to remove him. Hawk-Eye demonstrated that it would have cut the top off when he tried to shoulder charge the following ball, but it smashed back into him viciously, banging the thigh.
Soon after, the large fish arrived—another magnificent application of the seam. Babar attempted to deflect a strong length that Seales hit into the off side, but it curved just enough to kiss the outside edge through to Imlach. Babar would review, but he would not receive a respite as Ghulam did. Saud Shakeel, who is experienced on conditions like these, brought some order back to Pakistan’s innings just as it was about to collapse.
While the quicks lost their venom and the spinners skillfully negotiated, Mohammad Rizwan at the other end maintained his focus as the West Indies persisted in their prowling. Immediately following tea, when Shakeel dropped on his knees and swept Kevin Sinclair for four, there was a noticeable acceleration from the two. The couple was able to get a release shot as the ball started to rip thanks to the shot that got them through the workout.
With Rizwan as the main attacker, who had the guts to turn with his feet and keep the strike going, the following six overs saw seven boundaries. There was still much for the guests to get enthusiastic about. Just short of a half-century, Shakeel popped one up dangerously near to short midwicket after several balls beat the outside edge by a hair. However, the milestones were both well-earned when he arrived and Rizwan soon followed.
The light had been steadily declining at this point, and the players were dismissed when the light metre appeared halfway through Kraigg Brathwaite’s opening over. After being pulled by Rizwan and Shakeel to a less dangerous position than they had been in after the first hour, Pakistan was arguably the happier side by that point.
