PAK vs NZ: "We Wanted To Get A Result, And We Went For The Declaration, But The Light Was Not Good Enough, So It Ended In Draw" - Babar Azam

The first Test of Pakistan’s two-match series against New Zealand ended in a draw as bad light halted New Zealand’s run chase at the Karachi National Stadium. Pakistan captain Babar Azam said that their five-man bowling attack performed well in the first Test.

Pakistan declared their second innings at 311-8, setting the Kiwis a target of 138 runs in 15 overs. Shakeel, Imam-ul-Haq, and Sarfaraz Ahmed smashed the half centuries, while Ish Sodhi was the standout bowler for the Kiwis. The visitors played aggressively and looked to take a 1-0 lead in the series, but bad light forced the match to be declared a draw.

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Wasim And Saud Brought Us Back Into The Match – Babar Azam

In the post-match presentation, Babar Azam said that Pakistan were desperate for a result, but bad light forced the game to end in a draw. Babar praised Mohammad Wasim and Saud Shakeel for bringing the hosts back into the match with positive cricket.

“As you know, we wanted to get a result, as I said at the toss, and we went for the declaration. But the light was not good enough, so it ended in a draw. Our fifth bowler is Salman Agha, he wasn’t been feeling well. We missed him with the ball. So, I think our five-bowler attack is good. Wasim and Saud brought us back into the match. Credit to them for playing positive cricket,” Babar Azam said in the post-match presentation.

Pakistan collapsed to 208-7 before Wasim and Shakeel added a crucial partnership of 71 runs to extend their lead to over 100 runs.

Salman Ali Agha Batted With The Tail And Scored A Century – Babar Azam

Babar stated that he decided to take a gamble as Tests can be unpredictable. He praised Salman Ali Agha for batting with the tail and putting his team in a strong position.

“I had said this in the start that we will go for the result, we took our chance and you never know with cricket, anything can happen. You can take chances and we did that. Batting is our strength, I think we made a strong comeback in the first innings.”

“Credit should be given to Salman Ali Agha, the way he batted with the tail and scored a century and put us in a good position. Imam, Saud, Sarfaraz built partnerships in small patches, overall batting performed well.”

The second and final Test match of the two-match series between Pakistan and New Zealand starts on January 2nd at the National Stadium in Karachi.

Also read: “If You Don’t Play Against Top Four-Five Teams On A Regular Basis, You Won’t Be Able To Grow As A Cricketer” – Litton Das

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