Pakistan and West Indies will face eachother in second and final Test match of the ongoing series at Multan on 25th January.
Match Preview:
Pakistan will have a upperhand moving to the second Test match as they outclassed West Indies in the first Test match of the series. Ever since Pakistan has utilised dry-pitch mantra and recalled Sajid Khan and Nauman Ali back to the Test squad, the team has been winning on the homeground.
“Of course we were right to prepare a spin pitch against West Indies. Their batters are not as proficient against spin when compared to fast bowling.” – Aaqib Javed
Earlier the side defeat England and now they are on edge of winning yet another home series despite winning, Pakistan will have a few concerns to fill up, especially in their batting line-up.
One can say the conditions were tougher but its time for batting unit but Babar Azam and Kamran Ghulam will have to step-up as it was Mohammad Rizwan and Saud Shakeel which saved the sinking boat of Pakistan’s batting lineup in 1st innings.
Talking about West Indies, they will have to work hard and regroup after the 1st Test ended in just three days. The batters will have to support the hardwork of the bowlers as besides Alick Athanaze none of the batters could make the mark.
The captain Kraigg Brathwaite said he has never played on a surface which showed crack on the pitch from the first day.
“I’ve played on surfaces that spun from day one, but this was the first time I’ve seen such cracks on a pitch on day one.” Kraigg Brathwaite
The bowlers like Jomel Warrican and Jayden Sales were on top in the first test but unfortunately Jayden won’t be the part of the second Test due to a niggle.
Playing XI:
Pakistan:
Shan Masood (capt) 2 Muhammad Hurraira 3 Babar Azam 4 Kamran Ghulam 5 Saud Shakeel 6 Mohammad Rizwan (wk) 7 Salman Agha 8 Noman Ali 9 Sajid Khan 10 Abrar Ahmed 11 Kashif Ali
West Indies:
1 Kraigg Brathwaite (capt) 2 Mikyle Louis 3 Keacy Carty 4 Alick Athanaze 5 Kavem Hodge 6 Justin Greaves 7 Amir Jangoo (wk) 8 Gudakesh Motie 9 Kevin Sinclair 10 Jomel Warrican 11 Kemar Roach
Pitch and weather report:
The pitch for this Test has been prepared identically to the one for the first Test, and with no change in the cold and dry weather conditions, a similar outcome to the first Test is highly likely. Any significant deviation from the previous result would be unexpected.
Head-to-head record:
In the head-to-head match-ups between Pakistan and West Indies, Pakistan holds a significant edge. Out of the 29 matches played, Pakistan has emerged victorious 16 times, while the West Indies have managed to win only 6 matches. Seven matches have ended in a draw, and none have been abandoned without a result.
Prediction:
Given their recent win at home against West Indies, Pakistan is favourite to win the first Test match of the series.
Where to Watch:
Pakistan: Tapmad
MENA + South East Asia: Cricbuzz
North America: Willow
Bangladesh: T Sports
UK: ARY Digital
India: FanCode
Sub-Saharan Africa: SuperSport
