The first match of the two-Test series between Pakistan and West Indies is being played in Multan, where the pitch has changed such a color that what was once considered a paradise for batsmen, has today turned into a graveyard. 23 wickets have fallen in just two days of play in Multan Test. The most surprising thing is that 19 out of 23 wickets fell only on the second day of the match. This is the record for the highest number of wickets falling in a day in the history of Pakistan’s Test cricket.
In 2003, during the Test match played between Pakistan and Bangladesh in Multan, 18 wickets fell on the second day. This record has been broken after 22 years.
Most wickets to fall in a one-day game in Pakistan:
- 19 – Pakistan vs West Indies, Multan, 2025 (Day 2)
- 18 – Pakistan vs Bangladesh, Multan, 2003 (2nd day)
- 16 – Pakistan vs West Indies, Karachi, 1998 (3rd day)
- 16 – Pakistan vs England, Multan, 2024 (Day 3)
Pakistan’s wicketkeeper batsman Mohammad Rizwan is also not happy with the pitch of Multan and he says that playing in Pakistan has now become like playing outside. Rizwan said, “We have never played on such a turner before, but when a team is on tour here it is the best. When you go to Australia, they ask you to play on drop-in pitches, India also prepares spinning conditions. Playing in Pakistan has now become like playing outside for us, even in Dubai earlier we had no control.”
Talking about the match:
After winning the toss and opting to bat first, Pakistan team was all out for 230 runs. Mohammad Rizwan (71) and Saud Shakeel (84) definitely scored half-centuries, but apart from them no batsman could even touch the 20-run mark. West Indies, on the other hand, were all out for just 137 runs in their first innings. His last three batsmen were top scorers. By the end of the second day’s play, Pakistan had scored 109 runs at the loss of 3 wickets, and their lead had increased to 202 runs.
