Jayden Seales delivered a stellar performance, as he snared three early wickets to give the West Indies a promising start in their opening Test against Pakistan at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Friday.

On a day marked by a delayed start due to heavy fog, Seales showcased his skill and determination with figures of 3-21 in 10 overs, which had Pakistan reeling at 46-4, before a steady recovery from Mohammad Rizwan, not out on 51, and Saud Shakeel, unbeaten on 56, took the host to 143-4 at sumps.

While much of the pre-match buzz centered on the spin-friendly conditions, Seales proved there was plenty on offer for seamers willing to bend their backs. The 23-year-old Trinidadian exploited subtle movement and bounce to dismiss Mohammad Hurraira (six), Kamran Ghulam (five), and the prolific Babar Azam (eight), to put the visitors in the driver’s seat.

After winning the toss and opting to bat in conditions that delayed play by four hours, Pakistan’s innings got off to a rocky start. Gudakesh Motie struck the first blow when he had captain Shan Masood (11) caught behind by debutant wicketkeeper Tevin Imlach.

Seales then took center stage from there, as the right-arm seamer delivered with precision and control to dismiss debutant Hurraira, who edged a probing delivery to Imlach.

Pakistan's Mohammad Rizwan plays a shot during his unbeaten knock as Justin Greaves looks on. (Photos: PCB)

Ghulam, after briefly counterattacking with a boundary off an outswinger, fell victim to a peach of a delivery. Seales produced a ball that nipped back sharply after pitching, striking Ghulam’s thigh. Hawk-Eye confirmed it was clipping the top of the off stump as he was adjudged leg-before-wicket.

The prized scalp of Babar Azam followed soon after. Seales lured the Pakistani captain into a false stroke, and found the edge for Imlach to take his third catch on what seemed set to be a dream debut behind the stumps as Pakistan looked in disarray.

However, just as the West Indies began to dream of bowling Pakistan out cheaply, Rizwan and Shakeel steadied the innings with a determined 97-run partnership. Rizwan played with characteristic calm, while Shakeel mixed patience with aggression to keep the scoreboard ticking.

The duo’s partnership blunted the West Indies attack in the latter stages of the day, and with both batsmen well-set, the hosts will aim to push towards a competitive first-innings total.

Still, West Indies have an excellent platform to build on and will be hoping to capitalize on Saturday’s second day.