Pakistan aimed to create a spin-friendly pitch for their Test series against the West Indies, but the strategy faltered as the visitors ensnared the home team in a spin trap on a dry Multan surface.
On Monday, West Indies spinner Jomel Warrican took five wickets, helping the visitors secure a 120-run victory in the second Test, marking their first Test win in Pakistan in nearly 35 years. The West Indies levelled the series 1-1, while Pakistan dropped to the bottom of the ICC World Test Championship points table.
Pakistan won the first Test by 127 runs, also in Multan, but with the 1-1 draw in the series, they now sit at the bottom of the standings. With five wins and nine losses from 14 matches, this marks the first time since the start of the World Test Championship (WTC) format that Pakistan has finished at the bottom.
Warrican finished with nine wickets in the match and 19 in the series, turning the tables on the hosts on spin-friendly pitches.
Pakistan’s captain, Shan Masood, admitted that his side’s inability to dismiss West Indies’ tail-enders contributed to their loss in the second Test. “I think the only option left was to bring the fast bowler on and have a crack,” Masood said, reflecting on the team’s performance. “We’ve struggled to get the tail out here, something we did well in Australia but struggled in South Africa too. One bad performance can lead to a domino effect, but we can’t forget how we’ve played throughout.”
Masood noted that while the team has faced challenges, they have learned valuable lessons, particularly about the impact of extra partnerships. “It’s a game of all stakeholders, and I appreciate the players for their willingness to throw themselves into the den despite the batting failure,” he said. “We did win 3 out of 4 Tests on similar pitches and had a good first session here. Some encouraging signs came through, like Saud and Rizzy’s fifties, and I got a 60-ball fifty in the first Test. Babar contributed as well. We must be proactive like Brathwaite, who took the game on with his 50.”
The West Indies’ last Test win in Pakistan came in November 1990 in Faisalabad. They were winless in their 1997 and 2006 tours.
Starting with a score of 76-4, Pakistan’s chase of 254 heavily relied on Saud Shakeel, but Kevin Sinclair dismissed him for 13, further diminishing their chances. Babar Azam top-scored with 31, while Mohammad Rizwan made 25.
