Spinners burst leaves West Indies sensing victory against Pakistan

Kevin Sinclair led a West Indian spin trio to give the tourists a sniff of a series-levelling win in the second Test Sunday with Pakistan on the ropes at 76-4 after day two in Multan.

The gutsy West Indies scored 244 in their second innings to set the hosts a daunting 254-run target on a spinning Multan Stadium pitch.

At stumps, Saud Shakeel was unbeaten on 13 and nightwatchman Kashif Ali on one. The West Indies need only six more wickets to draw the series 1-1.

Pakistan need a demanding 178 runs for victory. They won the first Test by 127 runs, also in Multan.

Sinclair (2-41) opened the floodgates by trapping Pakistan skipper Shan Masood leg before for two and then had the prized wicket of Babar Azam caught for a dour 31.

Azam had added 43 with Kamran Ghulam, who was dropped twice, on two and six, but the lapses did not prove costly to the West Indies.

The West Indies bowlers struck early, leaving Pakistan in tatters at 5/2 within the first three overs. 

Openers Shan Masood and Mohammad Hurraira fell cheaply to Kevin Sinclair and Gudakesh Motie, both managing just two runs each.

Babar Azam and Kamran Ghulam attempted to rebuild with a 43-run stand for the third wicket. 

However, Jomel Warrican broke through Pakistan’s resistance, dismissing Ghulam for 19. The hosts found themselves at 48/3, with the pressure mounting.

In a late blow to Pakistan’s hopes, Sinclair returned to remove Babar for a well-fought 39, leaving the team reeling at 76/4 after 24 overs at the stumps.

Pakistan now requires another 178 runs to secure a series victory, while the West Indies bowlers are well-positioned to seal the match with their early momentum.

Earlier in the day, Pakistan’s spinners dominated proceedings, bundling out the visitors for 244 in their second innings. 

Despite solid contributions from the West Indies batsmen, the Pakistan bowlers, led by their spin attack, managed to keep the target within reach.

West Indies resumed their second innings following Pakistan's collapse and got off to a solid start with a 50-run opening partnership. 

However, Noman Ali struck in the 12th over, dismissing Mikyle Louis for just seven runs.

Captain Kraigg Brathwaite fought back with a resilient half-century, but Noman Ali had the last laugh, dismissing Brathwaite for 52 in the 23rd over.

 This left the West Indies at 92/2, with Pakistan making significant strides in the match.

Amir Jangoo and Kavem Hodge tried to stabilize the innings, scoring steadily. However, Pakistan's Sajid Khan made the breakthrough, dismissing Jangoo for 30 and leaving the West Indies at 106/3 in 27.3 overs.

Noman quickly followed up, claiming his third wicket by removing Hodge for 15, with the score at 124/4 in the 32nd over. 

The Caribbean side’s momentum faltered further when Noman struck again, sending Alick Athanaze back to the pavilion for just six runs. This reduced the West Indies to 129/5 at lunch on day two, with a lead of 138 runs.

After the break, Pakistan’s bowlers continued to dominate. Abrar Ahmed claimed his first wicket, dismissing Justin Greaves for 10. 

The West Indies’ lower order fought back as Tevin Imlach and Kevin Sinclair contributed a crucial 51-run stand for the eighth wicket.

The partnership was broken by Sajid Khan, who picked up his second wicket by removing Sinclair for 28. Pakistan's pacer Kashif Khan then made his mark, dismissing Imlach for 35 and reducing the West Indies to 206/8.

Warrican and Motie carried forward their sensible batting approach and added a 27-run stand. However, it was soon cut short as Gudakesh Motie was dismissed for 18, leaving the side at 233/9 in 61 overs.

Pakistan claimed the final breakthrough with Sajid dismissing Warrican for 18, bowling the West Indies out for 244 in 66.1 overs.

The spin duo of Noman and Sajid took four wickets each, while Kashif and Abrar claimed one wicket apiece.

PLAYING XIs

Pakistan: Shan Masood (c), Muhammad Huraira, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha, Sajid Khan, Noman Ali, Abrar Ahmed, Kashif Ali.

West Indies: Kraigg Brathwaite (c), Mikyle Louis, Amir Jangoo, Kavem Hodge, Alick Athanaze, Justin Greaves, Tevin Imlach (w), Kevin Sinclair, Gudakesh Motie, Kemar Roach, Jomel Warrican.