West Indies all-rounder Justin Greaves achieved a remarkable
milestone in Test cricket during the opening ICC World Test Championship match
against Pakistan in Trinidad. The right-arm pacer etched his name into the
record books by becoming the first player in Test history to bowl five
consecutive wicket maidens, capturing five wickets without conceding a single
run across five straight overs.
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| Image Credits: Cricinfo |
Pakistan were comfortably placed at 244/3 in response to the
West Indies' first-innings total of 311, buoyed by Shan Masood’s magnificent
century. However, Greaves completely shifted the momentum of the match on day
three with a spell of seam bowling. Following captain Roston Chase's advice to
maintain discipline and keep the ball in dangerous areas, Greaves triggered a
catastrophic collapse.
His historic streak began when he dismissed Masood. He then
removed Aamer Jamal, Ali Usman, and Mohammad Rizwan in consecutive overs
without conceding a run, leaving Pakistan reeling at 267/8 by lunch. Returning
right after the break, Greaves completed his five-wicket maiden sequence in his
very first over of the second session by having Mohammad Abbas caught behind.
With this performance, Greaves secured his maiden five-wicket haul in Test cricket, bettering the previous record of four consecutive wicket maidens held by former England fast bowler Stuart Broad against South Africa in 2016. Greaves' incredible spell wrapped up Pakistan's innings for 282, handing West Indies a crucial first-innings lead and delivering one of the most remarkable bowling performances in modern Test history.
