Noman Ali and Sajid Khan guided Pakistan strong win against the West Indies.
Pakistan decided to bat first after they had won the toss in Multan. The game started after more than four hours because of the heavy fog which is why there was 0 visibility at the stadium as it was scheduled to begin by half past nine in the morning but got started at 1.30 pm.
On a slightly dry pitch, Pakistan has opted for a spin-heavy lineup with three specialist spinners. Muhammad Hurraira makes his debut and will open the batting.
The West Indies announced yesterday that vice-captain Joshua da Silva was dropped, and Kemar Roach was unwell. They handed a debut to batter Tevin Imlach and opted for three spinners—Gudakesh Motie, Jomel Warrican, and Kevin Sinclair.
Pakistan decided to bat on a pitch that was difficult right from the start. Dust was rising, and the surface gave a good spin from the beginning. The West Indies began with Gudakesh Motie's left-arm spin at one end. However, the pacers also found movement off the pitch, and Jayden Seales made the most of it. Pakistan's openers started cautiously, but their progress was halted when debutant Muhammad Hurraira got out, caught behind off Seales. This gave West Indies' debutant wicketkeeper Tevin Imlach his first-ever dismissal in Test cricket.
Shan Masood, Hurraira’s partner, soon followed after edging a sharply turning ball from Motie down the leg side. Wicketkeeper Tevin Imlach dived to his left and took a sharp catch. Kamran Ghulam began with a lovely cover drive off Seales, but the bowler got the last laugh, trapping him on the back pad with a ball that nipped back. Ghulam, who had let the ball go, reviewed it in hope, but the umpire's decision stood in Seales' favour. At 31/3, Pakistan’s first session had not gone as planned. Saud Shakeel and Babar Azam survived a few tense overs before Seales delivered a beauty.
Azam edged the ball that moved away, giving Seales his third wicket of the morning and leaving Pakistan in a difficult position. After that, Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan saw out the rest of the session without further trouble.