Mohammad Abbas, Pakistan’s amazing fast bowler, had his finest day in the first Test with the West Indies on the third day.
He reached two great milestones and further established his status as one of the most promising red-ball bowlers of the country.
Abbas took three wickets in the first innings of the West Indies’ match at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy and then struck again in the second innings.
He was quick to dismiss King (3) and Hodge (2) in his third over, putting pressure on the hosts immediately, and helping Pakistan stay in the game.
Due to these wickets, Abbas’ test average dropped to 22.69, and he became the Pakistan fast bowler with the best bowling average among bowlers with 100-plus wickets in the format.
He did that with a career bowling average of 18.79, which beat the career record of former Pakistan captain Imran Khan with 22.81.
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Since his debut in 2017 against the West Indies, Abbas has now picked up 116 wickets in just 30 Tests.
By contrast, Imran Khan picked up 362 wickets in 88 Tests and Waqar Younis had 373 wickets in 87 Tests at 23.56.
Abbas also achieved another milestone as he became the sixth Pakistani fast bowler to achieve the milestone of 100 Test wickets in overseas matches.
He is in a prestigious club with Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Imran Khan, Mohammad Amir and Umar Gul.
Interestingly, Abbas also has the best overseas bowling average for all the Pakistani pacers who have touched the milestone, highlighting his consistency and effectiveness in overseas conditions.
In the meantime, the first Test is on the verge of turning into a decisive match. The West Indies were 126 for 7 in their second innings and at the end of day three in the lead by 155 runs.
The match is hanging in the balance and Pakistan will be looking to finish the job soon and cling to their hope to win it.
Also read: Mohammad Abbas rocks West Indies after Shan Masood’s century
