By Zainab Shafiq 
West Indies spinner Gudakesh Motie makes history, shattering the 113-year-old record on the opening day of the first Test against Pakistan in Multan on January 17, 2025. The match started late behind a thick layer of fog; Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat. The teams made one debutant each, with Pakistan including Mohammad Huraira in lieu of the injured Saim Ayub, while West Indies handed the gloves to Tevin Imlach, replacing vice-captain Joshua da Silva.
The two teams’ line-ups suggested a spin-friendly Multan pitch, with Pakistan fielding only one pace option along with four spinners, while West Indies had three spinners. Gudakesh Motie made headlines as he opened the bowling, becoming the first West Indies spinner to deliver the first ball in the first innings of a Test match.
A Historic First for West Indies
Motie’s incredible feat is the first time that a West Indies spinner has opened the bowling in the first or second innings of a Test match. Prior to Motie, there had been only four such instances in the annals of Caribbean cricket, and these were all done by Sonny Ramadhin in 1950. The other three happened much later in 2021.
The historical significance takes an even deeper meaning when placed in the global context. Motie became the first non-Asian spinner in 113 years to open the bowling in the first innings of a Test match. This happened for the first time since South Africa’s Aubrey Faulkner took the new ball against Australia way back in 1912. That makes Motie’s achievement the 30th overall, with the past nine being all Asian bowlers.
The Significance of Gudakesh Motie’s Record
This is such a special record for a West Indies team known for their rich history of winning with fast bowlers, thus making this different. The nature of the pitch at Multan was just spinning enough to help Motie achieve this special feat.
What marked the opening over of this game was how differently it turned out, having Shan Masood open for Pakistan on a spinning day. So the whole story, along with the historical context, brings Motie another stride further into growing in reputation as an exciting West Indian cricket personality.
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