MULTAN – Jomel Warrican, Gudakesh Motie and Kemar Roach were at the forefront of a superb West Indies fightback against Pakistan on a dramatic opening day that saw 20 wickets fall in the second Test at the Multan Cricket Stadium in Pakistan on Saturday.
Motie scored his maiden Test half-century batting at number nine and together with Warrican and Roach helped to rescue the Windies from 38 for seven, with the trio combining 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 6-41 while becoming the first Pakistan spinner to bag a Test hat-trick in the process.
Warrican then returned to grab four wickets, while Motie took three and Roach two, 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 tailenders that 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 on 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, adjudged lbw to off-spinner Sajid Khan, to see the Windies slip to nine for two.
Skipper Kraigg Brathwaite made just nine before he was trapped lbw by Nomad Ali, and when Nomad 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 for seven.
Kavem Hodge’s defiant 21 then came to an end when he was dismissed by Abrar Ahmed with the score 54 for eight, to leave only the tail.
However, Roach added 41 with Motie to carry the total to 95 before he became Nomad Ali’s fifth victim, out lbw for 25 from 45 balls.
His dismissal brought Warrican to the crease and together with Motie, they frustrated Pakistan’s bowlers during a 68-run partnership 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 Nomad Ali down to long on for a single.
Ali got his revenge in his next over though, when he comprehensively bowled 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 would have been hoping to gain a sizeable first innings lead and take control of the contest.
However, veteran pacer Kemar Roach dismissed openers Muhammad Hurraira and Shan Masood and Motie bowled Babar Azam to leave the home side wobbling on 25 for three.
And when Athanaze held on to a good catch at slip to account for the wicket of Kamran Ghulam off the bowling of Motie, Pakistan was in trouble at 51 for four.
But the heroes of the first Test, Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan, shared a 68-run stand for the fifth wicket to put the home side back in the ascendancy.
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.
Warrican finished with 4-43, Motie took 3-49 and Roach 2-15.
CMC
Summarised Scores
WEST INDIES 163 in 41.1 overs (Gudakesh Motie 55, Jomel Warrican 36 not out, Kemar Roach 25, Kavem Hodge 21; Noman Ali 6-41, Sajid Khan 2-64).
PAKISTAN 154 in 47 overs (Mohammad Riswan 49, Saud Shakeel 32, Kamran Ghulam 16, Shan Masood 15; Jomel Warrican 4-43, Gudakesh Motie 3-49, Kemar Roach 2-15).