Noman Ali made history on Saturday by becoming the first Pakistani spinner to claim a Test hat-trick. His remarkable achievement helped Pakistan bowl out the West Indies for just 163 runs on the opening day of the second Test in Multan. This historic moment, which contributed to the collapse of the West Indian top order, was a major highlight of Pakistan’s dominant performance, with the visitors being dismissed before lunch.
The West Indies chose to bat first on a pitch that offered significant turn, but they found themselves in trouble right from the start. Noman, brought in as the first change bowler, struck early by dismissing West Indian captain Kraigg Brathwaite leg before for just nine runs, triggering a dramatic collapse. He then achieved the extraordinary feat of taking four wickets in as many balls, dismissing Justin Greaves, Tevin Imlach, and Kevin Sinclair on consecutive deliveries to secure a Test hat-trick. At this point, the West Indies were reeling at 38-7.
With the score at 38-8, it seemed a record low total for the West Indies was on the cards, but a resilient tail-end fightback delayed the inevitable. Gudakesh Motie, who top-scored with a career-best 55, shared valuable partnerships with Jomel Warrican (36 not out) and Kemar Roach (25). Motie’s first-ever Test half-century and his stand with the lower order added 68 crucial runs for the final wicket, preventing the West Indies from an embarrassing total and lifting them past the 150-run mark.
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Noman, however, finished off the West Indies’ innings just before lunch by dismissing Motie for his sixth wicket of the innings. Noman’s final figures stood at 6-41, while his spin partner, Sajid Khan, took 2-64. Debutant pacer Kashif Ali also impressed with a wicket in his very first over, dismissing Mikyle Louis for four runs—a rare achievement for a Pakistani pacer on home soil.
Noman’s hat-trick places him among the five Pakistan bowlers who have claimed this remarkable feat in Test cricket, joining Wasim Akram, Abdul Razzaq, Mohammad Sami, and Naseem Shah. At 38, Noman also became the second-oldest player in Test history to take a hat-trick, after Sri Lanka’s Rangana Herath.
Pakistan’s spin-heavy approach, which had led them to a 127-run victory in the first Test of the series, proved crucial again in dismantling the West Indies. The visitors’ dramatic collapse from 32-2 to 38-7 in just 14 balls highlighted the spin-friendly conditions and the potency of Pakistan’s bowling attack.
