"India are in much more control of their game than Pakistan"- Salman Butt
Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt has credited Team India for their stellar batting performance against Sri Lanka in the first Test in Mohali. Ravindra Jadeja top-scored with 175* as India ended with a mammoth score of 574-8 in their first innings.
What impressed Butt the most was the way Team India paced their innings, scoring at over four runs an over. He feels that has given them enough time to pick up four Sri Lankan wickets by the end of Day 2.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Butt also reviewed Pakistan's performance against Australia on Day 2 of the Rawalpindi Test. He observed that the hosts were a bit too slow in their innings, taking almost two days to score 476-4, saying:
"Pakistan need to get Australia out. On the other hand, if we look at India, they scored runs at a quicker pace. and they also picked up four wickets of the opposition. So I think India are in much more control of their game than Pakistan are."
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"India have caught Sri Lanka by the scruff of their neck"- Salman Butt
After posting a mammoth score first-innings score, the Indian bowlers came to the fore, restricting Sri Lanka to 108-4 by close of play on Day 2.
Salman Butt reckons it could be a huge mountain to climb for the visitors, and feels India already have a tight grip on the Test. Meanwhile, he feels Pakistan could have accelerated a bit more against Australia, and could have had a crack at the visitors earlier on Day 2.
Salman Butt opined in this regard:
"India have caught Sri Lanka by the scruff of their neck. It was a huge huge knock by Jadeja. India have played with a run-rate of about 4.25. On the other hand, if we talk about Pakistan, if you had to play for two days, it was too slow."
It will be interesting to see whether India enforce a follow-on on Sri Lanka. Meanwhile, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan will need to strike early on Day 2 and make inroads into a strong Australian batting lineup on a flat pitch.