West Indies all-rounder Justin Greaves had a day to remember on Monday as he registered figures of 5/27 on day three of the first Test against Pakistan in Tarouba.
Justin Greaves became the first player in the history of Test cricket to bowl five consecutive wicket maidens.
He surpassed the feat of former England pacer Stuart Broad, who had bowled four consecutive wicket maidens in a Test against South Africa in Johannesburg in January 2016. Greaves finished with figures of 5/27 from 11 overs.
Justin Greaves reveals Roston Chase’s advice
Justin Greaves revealed what West Indies skipper Roston Chase told him to do. “When I came on, captain Roston Chase just said ‘continue to be disciplined in what you are doing’ and to see if I can get some wickets for the team,” Greaves said at the press conference after the day’s play on Monday.
“The ball nipped around and I got some reward. Anytime I get the ball in hand the team looks to me to be that solid player for them (and) try to dig us out of situations.
“To get five wickets for the first time in Test cricket, I’m really happy, but there’s still a lot of work to do in the game,” he added.
Pakistan appeared to be in complete control of the first innings after reaching 244/3, with captain Shan Masood celebrating a well-crafted century. However, JGreaves turned the game on its head by removing Masood, sparking a dramatic collapse.
The seamer then ripped through the middle and lower order, dismissing Aamer Jamal, Ali Usman and Mohammad Rizwan in successive overs without giving away a single run. Pakistan went into the lunch break at 267/8 after losing five wickets for just 23 runs.
Greaves continued his remarkable spell after the interval by having Mohammad Abbas caught behind in the opening over of the session, completing a sequence of five wicket-maiden overs.
Pakistan were eventually bowled out for 282, with Greaves’ superb seam bowling producing a match-defining five-wicket haul.
However, the visitors responded strongly late in the day, as they reduced the West Indies to 126/7 in their second innings. Despite the collapse, the hosts carried an overall lead of 155 runs at stumps, with Shamar Joseph unbeaten on 22 and Kemar Roach on 5 set to resume the innings on the fourth day.
After the first Test, both the teams will head to Port of Spain for the second Test, which will begin from 2 August. Both the Tests are part of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27.
While West Indies are in eighth place with 18 points and a Points Percentage (PCT) of 15, Pakistan are in the ninth and final spot with just four points and a PCT of 8.33.