Jomel Warrican send-off to Sajid Khan© Video Grabs

Pakistan vs West Indies, 2nd Test Day 3: West Indies defeated Pakistan by 120 runs© AFP

Sajid Khan (left) and Jomel Warrican.© X/@FanCode

Pakistan vs West Indies, 2nd Test Day 2, Live Score Updates© AFP

Pakistan’s Sajid Khan celebrates after taking a wicket during the first Test against West Indies in Multan on January 19, 2025.
| Photo Credit: AP

Off-spinner Sajid Khan masterminded Pakistan’s emphatic 127-run win against the West Indies with a match haul of nine wickets in the first test on Sunday (January 19, 2025).

Khan followed his four-wicket haul in the first innings with 5-50 as the West Indies were bowled out for 123 runs in the second after being set a target of 251 runs on a spinning pitch.

Alick Athanaze, playing in only his 12th test match, made a fighting 55 off 68 balls before he became Khan’s fifth victim with inexperienced West Indies resistance folding in the second session on Day 3.

“As long as we get 20 wickets and are able to put in a good performance, we will be happy,” Pakistan captain Shan Masood said. “We did not know whether in these conditions the ball would spin as it is cold … but our spinners were clinical.”

Khan replicated his first-innings show with the new ball by yet again removing the top four batters as the tourists limped to 54-5 inside the first session that saw 11 of the 12 wickets falling to the spinners.

Leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed, who shared the new ball with Khan, claimed figures of 4-27 that included the wickets of Kevin Sinclair (10) and Gudakesh Motie (0) off successive balls with both edging to Salman Ali Agha in the slips as the tourists lost their last four wickets without scoring a run.

“The batters didn’t play as well as they should have,” West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite said. “We just have to be brave … it is important to be positive on these types of pitches. We should still trust our defence. If we can bring it together batting and bowling wise, we can come out on top.”

In a sensational 2-1/2 hour first session, left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican had grabbed a career-best 7-32 as Pakistan batters also struggled on their own engineered wicket for spinners. Warrican featured in all but one dismissal in Pakistan’s second innings as the home team was bowled out for 157 runs inside 1-1/2 hours after resuming on 109-3.

It gave Pakistan an overall lead of 250 runs after West Indies conceded a 93-run first innings lead when it was dismissed for 137 inside one session on Day 2 in reply to Pakistan’s score of 230.

Khan removed Brathwaite (12), Mikyle Louis (13), Keacy Carty (6) and Kavem Hodge (0) for the second successive time in the match as the tourists’ ploy to counterattack the off-spinner failed with slow bowlers getting purchase off the sluggish surface.

“The team is playing together and it is great,” Khan said. “The wicket had a lot of turn and bounce. The spin bowling coach spoke to me and in the second innings, I bowled a little slower and did not leak too many runs.”

Brathwaite holed out at deep mid-wicket while going for an overly ambitious shot; Carty lobbed an easy catch behind the wicket while attempting a sweep, while Hodge and Louis were bowled by Khan’s sharp-turning deliveries.

Athanaze delayed the inevitable by sharing a 41-run stand with debutant Tevin Imlach (14) and completed his half century with a cover driven boundary before Ahmed hurried the collapse to finish off the West Indies resistance.

Warrican had earlier given West Indies hope when he had Pakistan’s best batter against spin Saud Shakeel (2) caught at short mid-wicket off the first ball of the day. Rizwan and Kamran Ghulam were then outdone by awkward bounce and edged as the left-arm spinner exploited the favorable slow-bowling conditions.

Warrican capped his brilliant bowling when he ran out Khurram Shahzad with a direct-hit throw. He could have featured in all the dismissals had West Indies gone for a lbw television review against Agha, before Motie wrapped up the innings by having Agha caught at mid-off with Pakistan losing seven wickets for 48 runs.

“It is hard out there (for batters),” Masood said. “In the second innings, we folded cheaply. There are improvements to be made. When you win, you can go on a happy ride and be happy, but we can’t do that.”

Despite Pakistan’s third successive home win on raked wickets for spinners, it is at No. 8 and West Indies is at No. 9 in the World Test Championship points table after both teams underperformed over the past year in tests. Australia and South Africa have already qualified for the June 11-15 WTC final at Lord’s.

The second test, which will be the last for both teams in this WTC cycle, starts at the same venue on Friday.

Spinner Sajid Khan took five wickets and Abrar Ahmed another four to guide Pakistan to a 127-run win on the third day of the first Test against West Indies in Multan on Sunday. Sajid took 5-50 for match figures of 9-115, while leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed snared 4-27 as West Indies were dismissed for 123, falling well short of their victory target of 251. Pakistan’s spinners took all the wickets in West Indies’ second innings, with Noman Ali chipping in with 1-42, as the home side took an early advantage in the two-Test series.

Left-handed batter Alick Athanaze hit 55, the only half-century of the match for the tourists, and added 41 runs for the sixth wicket with Tevin Imlach.

Sajid removed the dangerous Athanaze, while Abrar’s haul included the final wicket of Jomel Warrican.

Left-armer Warrican had led the spin attack for the tourists with a career-best 7-32 as Pakistan were bowled out for 157 in their second innings.

They were the best figures by a West Indian bowler in Pakistan, topping fast bowler Malcolm Marshall’s 5-33 at Lahore in 1986.

Pakistan captain Shan Masood praised his spinners but said he wanted to see an improvement in the side’s batting.

“The spinners were clinical and Abrar along with Noman and Sajid was great,” Masood said.

“Batting was tough on this pitch but we still need to add more runs with the last few wickets and there are improvements to be made.”

His beaten counterpart Kraigg Brathwaite wanted West Indies’ batters to believe in their abilities.

“The batters didn’t play as well as they should have,” Brathwaite said.

“We saw how Alick played so we just have to be brave. We have got one more Test and we have to believe in ourselves.”

The Test lasted fewer than eight sessions, with the start delayed on the first day by poor visibility.

The Multan pitch provided sharp turn, with Sajid taking the wickets of Brathwaite (12), Keacy Carty (six), Kavem Hodge (0) and Mikyle Louis (13).

Noman then trapped Justin Greaves leg before wicket for nine in the last over before lunch, leaving the tourists tottering on 54-5.

Noman took 5-39 in the first innings. He and Sajid took 39 of the 40 wickets in the last two Tests against England in Pakistan’s 2-1 series win last year.

Pakistan had resumed earlier on 109-3 but managed to add just 48 runs.

Warrican’s nagging line and length earned him match figures of 10-101, his first 10-wicket match haul.

He dismissed overnight batter Saud Shakeel for two with the first ball of the day and then had Mohammad Rizwan for the same score in his next over.

Warrican continued the demolition with the wickets of Kamran Ghulam (27), Noman (nine) and Sajid (five).

The second match starts on January 25, also in Multan.

Pakistan vs West Indies 1st Test Day 3, Live Score Updates© AFP

Spin wizards Noman Ali and Sajid Khan guided Pakistan to a strong position against the West Indies after another spin dominated second day’s play in the opening Test in Multan on Saturday. The pair shared nine wickets between them to dismiss the West Indies for a paltry 137 in reply to the home team’s 230 all out earlier in the day. By the close, Pakistan stretched the 93-run lead to 202 by scoring 109-3 in their second innings, with Kamran Ghulam and Saud Shakeel batting on nine and two respectively when bad light ended play 25 minute before time.

Left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican (2-17) dismissed Muhammad Hurraira for 29 after an opening stand of 67 and Babar Azam for a second failure, trapped leg-before for five.

Skipper Shan Masood look solid for his 52, hitting two sixes and two fours, before Warrican ran him out after attempting a quick single.

The dry and grassless Multan pitch has already produced 22 wickets in six sessions even though two-and-a-half hours were lost on day one, and another 30 minutes on Saturday, because of poor visibility.

Noman grabbed 5-39 for his seventh five-wicket haul in Tests, while Sajid finished with 4-65 to dismiss the West Indies after lunch in a first innings that lasted just 25.2 overs.

Noman and Sajid, who shared 39 of the 40 wickets in the last two Tests against England in Pakistan’s 2-1 series win last year, were once again unplayable.

Sajid opened the bowling and removed Mikyle Louis (one), Keacy Carty (0), Kraigg Brathwaite (11) and Kavem Hodge (four) in his first three overs.

Noman then further jolted the tourists with another four wickets to leave them on 66-8.

The tail-enders showed more resistance, with number 10 batsman Warrican unbeaten on 31, with Gudakesh Motie adding 19 and Jayden Seales the last wicket to fall for 22.

Seales hit three sixes before holing out off spinner Abrar Ahmed.

Earlier, Warrican took 3-69 as Pakistan lost their last six wickets for 43 runs after resuming at 143-4.

Saud Shakeel top-scored for Pakistan with 84 off 157 deliveries, including six boundaries, while keeper Mohammad Rizwan added 71.

Shakeel added an invaluable 141 for the fifth wicket with Rizwan, lifting Pakistan from a precarious 46-4 on day one.

Kevin Sinclair sparked the Pakistan batting collapse by taking Shakeel’s wicket with the first ball after drinks.

He then trapped Rizwan leg-before off a missed reverse sweep, the original decision of not out overturned on review.

Rizwan’s 133-ball stay included nine boundaries.

Sajid hit a boundary and a six in a rapid-fire 18 before he was bowled by Warrican on the stroke of lunch to end Pakistan’s innings.

Spin wizards Noman Ali and Sajid Khan guided Pakistan to a strong position against the West Indies after another spin dominated second day’s play in the opening Test in Multan on Saturday. The pair shared nine wickets between them to dismiss the West Indies for a paltry 137 in reply to the home team’s 230 all out earlier in the day. By the close, Pakistan stretched the 93-run lead to 202 by scoring 109-3 in their second innings, with Kamran Ghulam and Saud Shakeel batting on nine and two respectively when bad light ended play 25 minute before time.

Left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican (2-17) dismissed Muhammad Hurraira for 29 after an opening stand of 67 and Babar Azam for a second failure, trapped leg-before for five.

Skipper Shan Masood look solid for his 52, hitting two sixes and two fours, before Warrican ran him out after attempting a quick single.

The dry and grassless Multan pitch has already produced 22 wickets in six sessions even though two-and-a-half hours were lost on day one, and another 30 minutes on Saturday, because of poor visibility.

Noman grabbed 5-39 for his seventh five-wicket haul in Tests, while Sajid finished with 4-65 to dismiss the West Indies after lunch in a first innings that lasted just 25.2 overs.

Noman and Sajid, who shared 39 of the 40 wickets in the last two Tests against England in Pakistan’s 2-1 series win last year, were once again unplayable.

Sajid opened the bowling and removed Mikyle Louis (one), Keacy Carty (0), Kraigg Brathwaite (11) and Kavem Hodge (four) in his first three overs.

Noman then further jolted the tourists with another four wickets to leave them on 66-8.

The tail-enders showed more resistance, with number 10 batsman Warrican unbeaten on 31, with Gudakesh Motie adding 19 and Jayden Seales the last wicket to fall for 22.

Seales hit three sixes before holing out off spinner Abrar Ahmed.

Earlier, Warrican took 3-69 as Pakistan lost their last six wickets for 43 runs after resuming at 143-4.

Saud Shakeel top-scored for Pakistan with 84 off 157 deliveries, including six boundaries, while keeper Mohammad Rizwan added 71.

Shakeel added an invaluable 141 for the fifth wicket with Rizwan, lifting Pakistan from a precarious 46-4 on day one.

Kevin Sinclair sparked the Pakistan batting collapse by taking Shakeel’s wicket with the first ball after drinks.

He then trapped Rizwan leg-before off a missed reverse sweep, the original decision of not out overturned on review.

Rizwan’s 133-ball stay included nine boundaries.

Sajid hit a boundary and a six in a rapid-fire 18 before he was bowled by Warrican on the stroke of lunch to end Pakistan’s innings.

Sajid Khan with Saud Shakeel© AFP