Warrican mesmerises Pakistan to help WI square series

MULTAN: Spinner Jomel Warrican took five wickets as the West Indies won a Test match in Pakistan Monday for the first time in nearly 35 years.

The West Indies won the second Test in Multan by 120 runs on day three to draw the series 1-1. Pakistan triumphed in the first Test by 127 runs, also in Multan.

Warrican finished with nine wickets in the match — 19 in the series — to give the hosts a taste of their own medicine on sharply spinning pitches.

The last time the West Indies won a Test in Pakistan was in Faisalabad in November 1990, having gone winless on their 1997 and 2006 tours.

“We haven’t played in Pakistan for a number of years, but we haven’t won here in a while, so to come here and do it as a young group is incredible,” said West Indian skipper Kraigg Brathwaite.

He praised the performance of star player Warrican, who scored 36 not out in the West Indies’ first innings of 163 and took both the man of the match and player of the series awards.

“Apart from his excellent bowling, he always says he’s one of the best players of off-spin in the Caribbean, so it’s good to see him get some runs along with wickets.”

Pakistan skipper Shan Masood defended his side’s spin ploy.

“On the first day we were in the position we wanted — even better, maybe, when we had them eight down,” he said.

WEST INDIES spinner Jomel Warrican (R) celebrates with team-mates after dismissing Pakistan’s Sajid Khan.—APP

Resuming on 76-4 and chasing 254, Pakistan’s hopes of victory rested on Saud Shakeel, but Kevin Sinclair had the left-hander caught in the slips for 13 to further dent the home team’s fading chances.

Babar Azam top-scored with 31 while Mohammad Rizwan made 25 as Pakistan were bundled out for 133. Warrican bowled nightwatchman Kashif Ali with a straighter ball for one, leaving Pakistan in tatters at 76-6.

Rizwan added 39 for the seventh wicket with Salman Ali Agha before Warrican dismissed the latter leg before for 15 and then bowled Rizwan to bring the tourists within two wickets of victory.

Gudakesh Motie, who took 2-35, removed Noman Ali for six while Warrican deservedly took the last wicket, bowling Sajid Khan for seven to seal the victory.

Shan acknowledged that the runs made by the West Indian tail were the turning point.

“We allowed them to score 109 runs for the last two wickets and then we were 119-4 and then bowled out for 154 and conceded a nine-run lead, that pushed us back,” Shan said. “We made mistakes as a team and lost as a team,” said Shan, who has now lost nine of 12 Tests as captain.

He defended the tactic of using dry pitches to assist spin bowlers in matches at home.

“We’ve won three out of four Tests,” said Shan, referring to Pakistan’s two wins against England and then the first West Indies Test.

Pakistan’s batters also found the conditions tough to bat on, raising calls to have similar pitches in domestic matches where fast bowlers have ruled in the past two seasons.

“We have to replicate these conditions in our domestic matches so that our batters can also bat better in future, but this is the strategy with which we have won a series against England,” Shan said.

The defeat sent Pakistan crashing to ninth and last in the World Test Championship table, while the West Indies finished eighth.

Title-holders Australia face South Africa in the WTC final at Lord’s in June.

SCOREBOARD

WEST INDIES (1st Innings) 163

PAKISTAN (1st Innings) 154

WEST INDIES (2nd Innings) 244

PAKISTAN (2nd Innings, overnight 76-4):

Shan Masood lbw Sinclair 2

Muhammad Hurraira lbw Motie 2

Babar Azam c Athanaze b Sinclair 31

Kamran Ghulam c Jangoo b Warrican 19

Saud Shakeel c Hodge b Sinclair 13