As West Indies suffered another batting collapse on Day 1 of the second Test against Pakistan, it was their bowling unit that stood up and delivered with the bat in Multan. After losing 8 wickets for 54 runs, West Indies managed to add 116 runs for the final three wickets, with the likes of Gudakesh Motie, Kemar Roach and Jomel Warrican scoring 55, 25 and 36 runs respectively. In doing, so West Indies repeated the historic feat they had set in the first Test against Pakistan, making it only the second instance in Test cricket history.
It was only the second time in the history of the game that the last three batters of a team managed to score the biggest individual knocks in that innings. The first instance was the opening Test between Pakistan and West Indies which the tourists lost.
In the match, Pakistan’s left-arm spinner Noman Ali also etched his name into cricketing history by becoming the first Pakistani spinner to achieve a hat-trick in Test cricket.
Noman’s hat-trick placed him among an elite group of Pakistani bowlers, making him only the fifth in the nation’s history to achieve the milestone in Test cricket. He followed in the footsteps of legendary bowlers like Wasim Akram, who was the first Pakistani fast bowler to take a Test hat-trick in 1997, and Naseem Shah, the last Pakistani to achieve the feat in 2020 against Bangladesh.
Coming on as the first-change bowler on a spin-friendly Multan track, Noman began dismantling the West Indies batting order with precision and guile. His first breakthrough came in his second over when he dismissed West Indies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite, delivering a blow that deflated the visitors’ morale.
Noman’s hat-trick unfolded in the 12th over of the innings. He first dismissed Justin Greaves, who attempted an expansive drive only to edge the ball to the slip cordon. Then, Tevin Imlach fell victim to a failed sweep shot, trapped plumb in front of the stumps. For his hat-trick delivery, Noman showed tremendous skill and composure, tossing the ball up to invite an ambitious drive from Kevin Sinclair. Sinclair edged the ball and Babar Azam, stationed at gully, completed a brilliant low catch to seal the historic moment.
With IANS Inputs
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