SL vs PAK: I Think It Was An Exceptional, Mature And Patient Innings: Mohammad Yousuf On Babar Azam

Pakistan batting coach Mohammad Yousuf has hailed skipper Babar Azam for his exceptional innings against Sri Lanka on the second day of the ongoing first Test in Galle.

Babar led the visitors’ fightback from the front after Sri Lanka reduced them to 85 for seven at one stage. After the departure of Yasir Shah (18), Pakistan were hanging by a thread at 111 for eight. Hasan Ali joined Babar at the crease and showed a bit of support with two sixes off Maheesh Theekshana.

In the meantime, Babar reached a gritty fifty without taking calculative risks, although, the close leg before shoutouts went in his favour.

Hasan soon perished while intending to play another big shot off Ramesh Mendis but all he found was Dinesh Chandimal near the boundary. Babar was batting at 55 when Naseem Shah joined him at the crease.

Babar Azam scores hundred in a precarious situation against Sri Lanka

It was the time for the Pakistan captain to unfurl the big shots, but to much surprise, he let the defensive game on and rotated the strikes as well. He started smashing when pace bowler Kasun Rajitha came into the attack, clubbing three fours in a row.

Babar showed enough respect to the Sri Lankan spinners and only pulled one to Theekshana’s short delivery for a six. He hit Prabath Jayasuriya for a four just before the tea to walk off with 95.

He took no time to notch up his seventh Test hundred just after the play resumed for the final session of the day. Babar scored 119, including 11 fours and two sixes, and Pakistan restored parity with a total of 218, just four runs behind Sri Lanka’s first-innings score of 222.

Babar Azam’s innings was exceptional: Mohammad Yousuf

Yousuf lavished praise on the Pakistan skipper for his magnificent knock and also appreciated Naseem Shah for sticking together in the 70-run stand for the 10th wicket.

“I think it was an exceptional, mature and patient innings. The maturity Babar has shown as a batsman even after becoming captain in all three formats is remarkable,” Yousuf said after the second day’s play.

“I think the beauty of his innings was how he played the ball under his chin. On such pitches, be it pace or spin, the right way is to play every ball under the chin and he did that. I was impressed with the way he took the tailenders along. I am pleased with the grit shown by Naseem Shah,” he added.

Sri Lanka were 36 for 1 at the end of the second day with a lead of 40 runs with skipper Dimuth Karunaratne back in the hut on 16.

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