Multan [Pakistan], January 19 : Pakistan captain Shan Masood reflected on his team's comprehensive 127-run victory against the West Indies in the first Test at Multan on Sunday. Masood credited his spinners for their clinical performance and highlighted key moments that turned the game in Pakistan's favour.
Speaking about the spin-friendly pitch, Masood said as quoted from ESPNcricinfo, "[Pitch] As long as we get 20 wickets and are able to put in a good performance, we will be happy. The spinners were clinical and Abrar along with Noman and Sajid was great."
Masood also lauded the crucial partnership between Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan, which helped stabilize the innings after an early collapse.
"[On the Shakeel-Rizwan stand] It was very important. We did not know whether in these conditions the ball would spin as it is cold, not like during the England Tests, when it was hot. We lost four wickets through some quality seam. But that partnership... before the day of the Test we sat down and said the set batters should stay long. And that's what Saud and Rizwan did," he said.
Looking ahead, the Pakistan captain emphasized the need for improvement despite the victory.
"[Going forward...] It is hard out there. Batting was hard. We need to add more runs with the last few wickets. In the second innings, we folded cheaply. There are improvements to be made. When you win, you can go on a happy ride and be happy. But we can't do that," Masood added.
The match saw Pakistan's spinners dominate, with Sajid Khan, Noman Ali, and Abrar Ahmed claiming all 20 wickets. This performance has set a new world record for consecutive home matches where Pakistan's spinners have taken all wickets.
With this win, Pakistan has taken a 1-0 lead in the series, but Masood's comments reflect the team's intent to remain grounded and work on their weaknesses ahead of the next game.