PAK vs WI [WATCH]: Noman Ali scripts history in Multan; becomes the first Pakistan spinner to take a hat-trick in Test cricket

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Noman Ali’s spin master-class decimate West Indies
Pitch remain the centre of discussion

The turning track of the Multan Cricket Stadium has done the trick for Pakistan once again. The spin duo of Noman Ali and Sajid Khan has once again dominated the West Indies batting line-up with their lethal spin bowling.

The most important part of the Pakistani spin attack, Ali has clinched a historic milestone to his name on the first day of the Test match, marking an important achievement in his individual career and for Test cricket in Pakistan.

Noman Ali’s spin master-class decimate West Indies

West Indies had a dreadful start to the second Test. Opener Mikyle Louis and debutant top-order batter Amir Jangoo were dismissed even before the visiting side could register 10 runs on the board. However, the real domination was yet to begin. The 38-year-old started the day by dismissing West Indies skipper Kraigg Braithwaite who was trying to offer some resistance in front of the spin onslaught from Pakistan.

Ali then went on to annihilate the remaining West Indies hope by sending Justin Greaves, Tevin Imlach and Kevin Sinclair back to the pavilion consecutively. While Greaves and Sinclair gave their wickets away getting caught on the second-slip by Babar Azam, Imlach was dismissed while attempting to sweep the ball, completely missing the turning delivery in the process which hit his pads instead.

With these wickets, Ali has managed to achieve a remarkable milestone by becoming the Pakistani spinner to secure a hat-trick in Test cricket and 5th bowler of their country to secure the glorious feat overall. Before him, only Wasim Akram, Mohammad Sami, Abdul Razzaq and Naseem Shah have managed to secure a hat-trick in Test cricket.

Here’s the video:

𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐭! 😍
Hat-trick hero Noman Ali makes history in Multan 🙌#PAKvWI | #RedBallRumble pic.twitter.com/2xRLeYpVXl
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) January 25, 2025

Also Read: Pakistan’s Mohammad Asif predicts the four semi-finalists of Champions Trophy 2025

Pitch remain the centre of discussion

The pitch at the Multan Cricket Stadium has witnessed unconventional turn and a conducive environment for spin bowling. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the team management were subjected to severe criticisms from the cricketing community considering the kind of turning track made for the Test series against West Indies.

Amidst growing objections from the cricketing world over deliberately making a turning track to win the Test series, Pakistan head coach Aaqib Javed entered the discussions and defended the host nations’ decision of making turning pitches asserting that Pakistan would have reached the finals of World Test Championship (WTC) had this decision were taken earlier.

“The rule of test cricket is to win at home. If you win at home and you win 2-3 tests away, you become a strong candidate for the final. We played in South Africa and didn’t field a spinner there due to the conditions. Similarly, pitches in Australia and England favor pace bowlers. Every country prepares pitches according to their advantage to win matches. I don’t understand the problem with spin-friendly wickets. If pace bowlers take wickets, people say cricket is progressing, but if spinners take wickets, they say cricket is going backward. I don’t understand this,” Javed said during a pre-match press conference.

Pakistan are currently leading the two-match Test series. Their previous face-off against the West Indies ended in favour of the home side as they won the match by 127 runs.