PAK vs AUS: I Thought They'd Have A Positive Impact On Day 2: Shahid Afridi Criticises Pakistan's Strategy

Pakistan should have maintained a greater run rate on the second day, according to Shahid Afridi, to have a chance of removing Australia early.

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi believes Pakistan should have maintained a greater run rate on Day 2 to guarantee they had enough time to bowl out Australia and then set a solid goal for them in the first Test in Rawalpindi. In what was Australia’s first Test match in Pakistan in 24 years, the match ended in a dull draw in batting-friendly conditions, with Pakistan’s second innings closing on 252/0

“On the second day, I believed they might play a little more positively when I turned on the television.” Look at the Australians’ approach: they don’t go at (a run-rate of) 2.50, they conclude their innings at 4.50. “You have to sustain a good run rate in every cricket match,” Afridi stated on TV.

Pakistan batted for over two days and finished with a score of 476/4. Following that, Australia batted till the early stages of the morning session of the fifth day, concluding their innings on 459 all out, after which Pakistan batted out the rest of the Test without losing a wicket.

Shahid Afridi criticises Pakistan’s tactics in the first test match:

Pakistan batted with a 2.93 run rate, whereas Australia batted at a 3.27 run rate, according to Shahid Afridi.

“You must also consider the time required to dismiss the opposing team.” As a result, I believe that run pace is really important and that we should have played faster on day two. We still had a lot of wickets, but we took too long. In reality, we should have given Australia 20 to 25 overs to bat,” stated Afridi.

In Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Australia played one of their most forgettable Tests, in which they worked on the field for 239 overs yet only managed to pick up four wickets for 728 runs. After securing a 17-run lead in the first innings, Pakistan added on the misery of the visitors by hitting 252 for no loss on the fifth and final day, resulting in an indifferent draw.

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