MULTAN – West Indies fast bowler Jayden Seales snared three early wickets but half centuries from Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan helped to rebuild Pakistan’s innings on the opening day of the first Test here at the Multan Cricket Stadium, yesterday.
Seales’ brilliant opening spell helped reduce the home side to 46 for four, until Shakeel, who ended the day unbeaten on 56 and Rizwan, who finished on 51 not out, shared an unbroken 97-run partnership for the fifth wicket to steer Pakistan to 143 for four when bad light ended play early.
Only 41.3 overs were possible after heavy fog prevented any play in the morning session.
When play did get underway in the afternoon after Pakistan won the toss and opted to bat, captain Kraigg Brathwaite turned to left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie, making it the first time a spinner opened the bowling for the West Indies in the first innings of a Test match.
Breakthrough
It didn’t take long for Seales – the lone fast bowler in the team – to make the breakthrough, enticing Muhammad Hurraira to edge a ball just outside off stump behind to debutant wicketkeeper Tevin Imlach with 16 runs on the board.
Four runs later, captain Shan Masood tried to tickle a delivery from Motie to fine leg but got a thin outside edge that was snapped up by Imlach.
Kamran Ghulam arrived at the crease and drove Seales superbly through cover for four, but the very next ball he was adjudged lbw shouldering arms to a delivery that nipped back, to leave Pakistan in trouble at 31 for three.
And when Seales found the outside edge of star batsman Babar Azam’s bat and was caught behind by Imlach, the home side was in dire straits at 46 for four.
However, Shakeel and Rizwan played contrasting innings to weather the storm and ensure there would be no further losses.
They took Pakistan to tea at 86 for four with Shakeel on 33 and Rizwan on 18.
After the break, Rizwan put his foot on the gas, driving leg spinner Jomel Warrican through cover for four and slog sweeping off spinner Kevin Sinclair over midwicket for another boundary in successive overs.
He took a liking to Warrican, blasting him for two more boundaries to join Shakeel in the 40s.
Shakeel eventually brought up his ninth Test half century off 86 balls when he cut a short delivery from Sinclair to deep point for two runs.
Rizwan followed soon after, driving a delivery from Warrican down to long off for a single to bring up his tenth Test half century off 76 balls.
With the quality of light decreasing, Brathwaite opted to bowl his part time off spin, but only got through three deliveries when play was called off by umpires because of bad light, leaving the match evenly poised heading into today’s second day.
(CMC)
