One of the most unpredictable teams in cricket is the West Indies. They can surprise you anytime, and this time it was their bowlers. No, not with the ball but with the bat. West Indies bowlers create history by adding more than 100 runs in the last 3 wickets.
The piece of history was the fact that the numbers 9, 10, and 11 were the highest run scorers for the team. In the turning pitch of Multan, batting seemed tough, but the lower-order batters made it easier.
West Indies bowlers create history
It was evident that the bowlers of the West Indies were in good form looking at their batting in the first test. Even though the West Indies lost the first test, their lower-order batters made handy runs.
In this instance as well, the West Indies lost 8 wickets for 54 runs when the likes of Kemar Roach, Gudakesh Motie, and Jomel Warrican made great use of the batting skillset. They were unstoppable.
In the process, Gudakesh Motie made his first test half-century and scored 55 runs. The other two bowlers, Roach and Warrican, made 25 and 36 runs, respectively. This made the final scorecard respectable.
Noman Ali Takes A Hattrick For Pakistan
The good news wasn’t coming only from the West Indies. It was even from the Pakistani bowling effort as well.
Noman Ali, the 38-year-old Pakistani spinner, took a hat-trick on the first day of the test match. His hat-trick included Justin Greaves, Tevin Imlach, and the spinner Kevin Sinclair. It was a moment of delight.
Noman is performing brilliantly in this series with wickets left, right, and center. He is the oldest and first Pakistani spinner to take a test hat-trick, which puts him into an elite list.
The last hat-trick for Pakistan in test cricket was taken by Naseem Shah. Records don’t stop right here. According to ESPN, Noman also became the first spin bowler ever to take 6 wickets in a single session in test cricket. Such a brilliant day for the left-arm spinner.
Pakistan’s Response on the First Day
It seems like the 2nd test match between Pakistan and West Indies will move ahead quickly. West Indies might have been bowled out for 163 in the first innings, but they replied with intent as their bowling arrived.
By the end of the first day, Pakistan was bowled out for 154 runs inside 47 overs. Rizwan made 49 runs, while others couldn’t make any impact. Warrican and Motie took 7 wickets between them.
As 20 wickets fell on the first day, it seems like Multan is a bowlers-friendly cricketing pitch. Spinners on the 1st day took 16 wickets out of 20 that fell. Not so surprising.
What To Expect From Day 2?
As the ball was turning so much on the very first day, expect something the same even on the 2nd day. With the weather expected to remain hot, the cracks will open up, with batting being even more difficult.
West Indies will bat again at the start of the 2nd day, making it harder to cope with moisture and spin. Captain Kraigg Brathwaite will have to play a good inning and provide stability.
Don’t expect the game to be over on the 2nd day. However, the fast-moving test match might end up on the 3rd day itself.
