Spin wizards Noman Ali and Sajid Khan guided Pakistan to a strong position against the West Indies after another second day of spin-dominated play in the opening Test in Multan on Saturday.
The pair shared nine wickets between them to dismiss West Indies for a paltry 137 in reply to the home team’s 230 earlier in the day.
In the end, Pakistan stretched the lead from 93 runs to 202 by scoring 109-3 in their second innings, with Kamran Ghulam and Saud Shakeel hitting nine and two respectively as bad light ended the game 25 minutes before time.
Left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican (2-17) dismissed Muhammad Hurraira for 29 after an opening stand of 67 and Babar Azam for a second miss, caught in the previous leg for five.
Captain Shan Masood looked solid for his 52, hitting two sixes and two fours, before Warrican dismissed him after attempting a quick single.
Noman took 5-39 for his seventh five-wicket haul in Tests, while Sajid finished with 4-65 to dismiss West Indies for 137 after lunch in a first innings that lasted just 25.2 overs.
Pakistan earlier lost their last six wickets for 43 runs after resuming play at 143-4 and were bowled out for 230 in their first innings.
Multan’s dry, grassless pitch has already produced 20 wickets in five sessions, despite two and a half hours being lost on the first day and another 30 minutes on Saturday due to poor visibility.
Noman and Sajid, who shared 39 of the 40 wickets in the last two Tests against England in Pakistan’s 2-1 series win last year, were once again unplayable.
Sajid opened the bowling and removed Mikyle Louis (one), Keacy Carty (0), Kraigg Brathwaite (11) and Kavem Hodge (four) in his first three overs.
Noman then rattled the tourists further with another four wickets to leave them at 66-8.
Those left behind showed more resilience, with number 10 batsman Jomel Warrican unbeaten on 31, Gudakesh Motie added 19 and Jayden Seales was the last wicket to fall for 22.
Seales hit three sixes before holing out to bowler Abrar Ahmed.
Warrican also took 3-69 in Pakistan’s innings.
Saud Shakeel was Pakistan’s top scorer with 84 off 157 deliveries, including six boundaries, while wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan added 71.
Shakeel added an invaluable 141 for the fifth wicket with Rizwan, lifting Pakistan from a precarious 46-4 on the first day.
Kevin Sinclair caused Pakistan’s batting collapse by taking the wicket of Shakeel with the first ball after drinks.
He then caught Rizwan front leg in a botched reverse sweep, the original decision not to be out was overturned on review.
Rizwan’s 133-ball stay included nine boundaries.
Sajid hit a boundary and a six in a quick 18 before Warrican bowled him at lunchtime to end Pakistan’s innings.
