'6-fer against Pakistan felt extremely special,' says WI spinner Warrican
Port of Spain, Aug 5
West Indies left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican said picking a six-wicket haul against Pakistan in the ongoing game at the Queen's Park Ova; as 'extremely special,' adding that stepping up to carry the bowling workload in the absence of injured captain Roston Chase made the performance even more gratifying.
With Chase nursing an index finger injury that restricted him to just seven overs, Warrican shouldered the bulk of the bowling duties, by sending down 46 overs. His figures of 6-112 helped West Indies trigger a Pakistani collapse on day three, thus restricting the visitors lead to just 43 runs after they lost eight wickets for 106 runs.
"I think that's probably the (performance) I'll cherish the most, because the team was down and the skipper was struggling with his finger, and I had to take up the mantle of working hard and bowling all those extra overs to help out the team. In terms of workload and to get rewarded for bowling so many overs, it felt extremely special," Warrican said at the end of day three's play.
It was Warrican's third five-wicket haul in Test cricket and first on home soil. "I always wanted a five-for at home. That's something that I will cherish, because watching the highlights when it's showing old clips, it's always home series, and I always wanted to be in the dressing room watching an old clip of me getting a five-for, and it happened in this game, so I'm really happy about that," he added.
But West Indies stumbled again in their second innings, sliding to 103/6 at stumps. Though off-spinner Sajid Khan took four scalps, West Indies have managed to hold a slender overall lead of 60 runs. Looking ahead to day four's play, Warrican urged the remaining batters to set a defendable target.
"As a team we've got to get close to 150-175 to be comfortable and have a game. So we've got to have a plan on how we're going to get it, and execute it when we get to bat tomorrow."
— IANS
Reader Comments
Respect to Warrican for bowling 46 overs - that's serious dedication. It reminds me of how our spinners like Ashwin and Jadeja have carried the workload for India in similar situations. Bowling 46 overs and getting 6 wickets is no joke, especially when your captain is injured. But West Indies need to show more fight with the bat. A 60-run lead is way too small.
Honestly feel bad for West Indies cricket. They have such passionate players like Warrican who give their all, but the batting department keeps letting them down. This isn't just about this match - it's a pattern we've seen for years. Pakistan's Sajid Khan also bowled well with 4 wickets, so credit where it's due. But if West Indies lose this, it'll be a real heartbreak after such a heroic bowling effort.
What a champion effort by Warrican! 🏆 Coming from India, we understand the value of a good spinner in Test cricket. His desire to have a "five-for at home" is so relatable - it's like how our players dream of performing at Eden Gardens or Wankhede. 46 overs, 6 wickets - that's attitude. Just hope the West Indies batters show some spine tomorrow. Test cricket needs teams like WI to be competitive!
Warrican's performance is definitely special, but let's be honest - Pakistan's batting collapse needs to be analyzed too. Losing 8 wickets for 106 runs shows poor application. From what I've seen of our Indian team against quality spin, you need a solid defense and intent. Pakistan would do well to learn from how Indian batters like Pujara and Rahane used to grind it out in such situations. Anyway, wish both teams good luck for day 4! 🙌
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