Sajid Khan’s fifer and a post-lunch four-fer for Abrar Ahmed helped Pakistan roll out West Indies for 123 in their second-innings for a comprehensive 127-run victory inside three days of the first Test in Multan. The visitors went to Lunch at 54/5 with Sajid having ripped apart the top-order for the second time in the game. Alick Athanaze put on a brief fight through his half-century knock on the other side, but Abrar picked up three of the last-four West Indies lost on the same score of 123.

Pakistan were already smelling victory but Athanaze found some support in wicketkeeper-bat Tevin Imlach and together the duo frustrated the hosts for nine overs post lunch. Athanaze, particularly, impressed with his strokeplay in this fighting 41-run stand but once Abrar found a way past it, West Indies crumbled in no time. Imlach was caught behind after a patient 14 off 30 deliveries, while the half-centurion was trapped LBW by Sajid for his fifer after a 28-run partnership with Kevin Sinclair.

Abrar was, at one point, on the verge of making history as the first Pakistan spinner to claim a hat-trick on home soil. Having dismissed Sinclair and Gudakesh Motie off successive deliveries of his previous over, Abrar sent down a googly for Jomel Warrican who went for a slog and missed it but the extra bounce saved the batter and denied the spinner a rare milestone. Warrican survived only one more ball and was cleaned up without troubling the scores. For the second time in the game, West Indies collapsed for under 150 runs.

Earlier in the day though, it was Warrican’s superb seven-fer that had revived West Indies chances on the third morning. He single-handedly wiped out Pakistan’s overnight advantage with a seven-wicket haul – to go with his two run-outs – in the second innings, triggering a stunning collapse of 6 for 48. Pakistan folded for 157, setting the visitors a target of 251 before Sajid brought them roaring back into the contest with four quick wickets to end a 11-wicket session in the home team’s favour after all.

Despite a foggy morning, play began as scheduled for the first time in three days of this game and Warrican made an immediate impact. Pakistan’s top-scorer in the first innings, Saud Shakeel flicked one straight to short mid-wicket first ball of the day to depart without adding anything to the overnight tally. Warrican then had Mohammad Rizwan caught in the slips with a ripper that spun sharply to take the edge. Kamran Ghulam, similarly, was undone by one that turned away sharply, giving Warrican his fifer.

Noman Ali was beaten on the reverse-sweep and the umpire was quick to raise the finger. Much like in the first innings, Sajid Khan was on the attack right away with a first-ball boundary. West Indies burnt a review on him early but the fireworks weren’t meant to be this time as Warrican had him caught at backward point for just five.

The spinner then caught Khurram Shahzad short of his crease with an accurate direct-hit to reduce Pakistan to 154 for 9 with a hand in each of those dismissals until that point. The only one to get away was Salman Ali Agha, perishing in his attempt to fetch some quick runs off Gudakesh Motie just as Pakistan’s lead reached 250.

Much like in the first innings, Sajid Khan then ripped through the West Indies top-order to nudge Pakistan ahead once more in the see-sawing contest. After a positive start to his knock and a couple of boundaries, Kraigg Brathwaite holed out in the deep as Sajid struck in the fifth over to give the hosts the first breakthrough. Attempting a sweep, Keacy Carty gloved one that lobbed up for Rizwan to take an easy catch in Sajid’s following over.

Kavem Hodge was cleaned up by a classic offspinner that snuck past the inside-edge to crash into the stumps, giving Sajid his third. At 37 for 3, Mikyle Louis went for an ill-advised big shot only for Sajid to slow it down and shorten his length. The ball comfortably spun past his bat and hit the leg-stump instead. Justin Greaves had an LBW call overturned against Noman Ali early, but his luck ran out at the stroke of lunch when the spinner caught him plumb in front to leave West Indies in tatters at 54 for 5.

Brief scores:
Pakistan 230 & 157 (Shan Masood 52, Jomel Warrican 7-32) beat West Indies 137 and 123 (Alick Athanaze 55; Sajid Khan 5/50, Abrar Ahmed 4-27) by 127 runs