Jomel Warrican (right) in action during the first Test between Pakistan and West Indies.©AFP
West Indies suffered a crushing 127-run defeat against Pakistan in the first Test in Multan, but it was not a bad experience for all the players in the team. Indeed, despite the crushing defeat, West Indies bowlers Gudakesh Motier, Jomel Warrican and Jayden Shields set records with the bat rather than the ball. The trio set a record for the first time in the 148-year history of Test cricket since the last three batsmen marked the team’s highest score in an innings in the first Test match in March 1877.
West Indies were teetering at 66/8 in the first innings, but with the help of their No. 9, 10 and 11 batsmen, they were able to score 137 in the end. Moti, number 9, scored 19 points, Warrican, number 10, led the way with 31 points, and Shields, number 11, scored 22 points.
No other batsman in the top eight hit more than 11 crosses, making this the first time in Test cricket that three batsmen have scored the highest score in a single innings. .
It was also the third time in Test cricket that the top two scorers in an innings were the last two batsmen.
Interestingly, all three batsmen were bowled out for ducks in the second innings as West Indies collapsed to 123 all out and lost the match by a large margin.
Despite the loss, it was a memorable test match for Warrican. Warrican, who took three wickets in the first innings, recorded his best innings figures of 7/32 in the second and finished with figures of 10/101, a career best in a Test match.
The second Test between Pakistan and West Indies will begin on January 25, also in Multan. West Indies need to win the match to avoid finishing bottom of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 cycle table.
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