Can the Windies salvage the series?
After a disappointing performance in the first Test, West Indies will be looking to bounce back strongly and tie up the two-match Test series against Pakistan with the hosts looking to lock in another red ball series win at home.
Ahead of the second Test match between Pakistan and West Indies, here’s our match preview and predictions.
Pakistan vs West Indies 2nd Test | West Indies tour of Pakistan 2025 | 11:00 IST, January 25, 2025
Both teams had a batting failure in the opening Test but Pakistan had two positive batting moments, in the first innings as Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan grinded it out on a sticky wicket to get 84 and 71 respectively. Shan Masood got a fighting 52 as well in the second innings but barring these three, no other batter managed to cross 35. Masood will expect his experienced and starred batting order including the likes of Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel and Rizwan to shoulder more responsibility in the second Test along with the likes of Kamran Ghulam and Muhammad Hurraira, with the latter looking solid in the second innings. With the ball, Masood deployed an all-out spin attack, with Sajid Khan, Abrar Ahmed and Noman Ali, picking up all 20 wickets amongst themselves.
For the visitors, it was a complete batting failure as the Windies couldn’t counter Pakistan’s spin attack, failing to cross 150 in either of their innings in the first Test. Alick Athanaze’s 55 and lower order contributions from Jomel Warrican and Jayden Seales, the visitors had no answer against the turning ball. Windies captain Kraigg Brathwaite will be expecting his batters to step up and put on a better batting performance in the final Test, especially against the turning ball once again. The Windies though, can take heart from their bowling performance with Jomel Warrican coming in with a ten-wicket haul in the first Test and Jayden Seales troubling the hosts as well. With the Multan strip expected to assist spinners again, Warrican, Kevin Sinclair and Gudakesh Motie will have to shoulder a lot of responsibility.
At Multan again, expect the spinners to come into play although it should be a strip which offers some runs this time around. It’s hosts Pakistan though, who will start as favourites once again with Pakistan’s strong spin trio expected to shine again.
Fantasy XI: Shan Masood, Kraigg Brathwaite, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Alick Athanaze Sajid Khan, Noman Ali, Jomel Warrican, Jayden Seales, Abrar Ahmed, Gudakesh Motie
Venue: Multan
Winners Prediction: Pakistan
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