West Indies Eye Series Levelling Win in Second Test as Pakistan Stumbles on Day 2
MULTAN: Kevin Sinclair spearheaded a West Indian spin trio that put Pakistan on the back foot, leaving them at 76-4 at the close of Day 2 in Multan. The West Indies are now just six wickets away from levelling the series 1-1 after setting Pakistan a challenging target of 254 runs.
With a gritty 52 from captain Kraigg Brathwaite, the West Indies posted 244 in their second innings. The hosts will require 178 runs for victory, but their path to success looks daunting, especially on a turning pitch at Multan Stadium.
At stumps, Saud Shakeel was unbeaten on 13, and nightwatchman Kashif Ali was on 1. The West Indies’ bowlers made significant strides, with Sinclair (2-41) leading the charge. His early breakthroughs—trapping Pakistan’s skipper Shan Masood for two and dismissing Babar Azam for a stubborn 31—gave the visitors the upper hand.
Despite some early chances for Pakistan, with Kamran Ghulam dropped twice early, the West Indian spinners capitalized on the lapses. Gudakesh Motie claimed Muhammad Hurraira for two, and Jomel Warrican got rid of Ghulam for 19.
The day saw 14 wickets tumble, following 20 on Day 1. Warrican expressed confidence, stating, “Our captain set the stage and infused confidence in the batters to follow… We have the confidence to pull off this victory, which would be a big win in these challenging conditions.”
Pakistan remains optimistic, with spinner Sajid Khan saying, “There is nothing impossible in this game… Shakeel has batted well on such pitches and then we have other batters also, so if we have that belief, we can score the required runs.”
Earlier in the day, Brathwaite led the charge with a fighting half-century, while the lower order provided crucial support to take the West Indies’ lead past 240. Despite Noman Ali’s 4-80 and Sajid Khan’s 4-76, the visitors fought back, with Tevin Imlach contributing 35 and Sinclair adding 28.
Pakistan will need a solid fightback to prevent the West Indies from drawing level in the series, with the target of 254 proving to be a steep challenge.
