"He just changed his mind a fraction" - Steve Smith on why Babar Azam missed out on his 200
Star Australian batter Steve Smith has hailed Pakistan skipper Babar Azam's sensational knock of 196 in the second Test at Karachi. Babar's marathon effort was one of the main reasons why the hosts batted for almost two full days in the fourth innings and salvaged a thrilling draw against all odds.
A double hundred in the fourth innings could have definitely been a cherry on the cake for Babar and he would be disappointed to miss out. Steve Smith has opened up on what might have led to the Pakistan skipper's dismissal as he was inching closer to the milestone.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of the third Test in Lahore, here's what Smith had to say about Babar's knock:
"When he was on a 196, perhaps he was looking for a boundary maybe through the off-side and just changed his mind a fraction knowing that he was so close to his 200 and that might have brought about his dismissal perhaps."
Steve Smith also lauded the way Pakistan batted as a collective unit against the threat of the Australian bowlers, especially the spinners. He said:
"I thought he played remarkably well against our spinners. Nathan was getting a bit out of the rough, but everything just seemed to hit the middle of his bat until he got out. They made us work really hard for wickets and we were just not good enough to get all 10 in the end."
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"Was definitely disappointed when I got out after working hard" - Steve Smith
Steve Smith has created a reputation for himself for having a sensational conversion rate, especially in Test cricket. The former Australian skipper would have backed himself to slam at least a hundred on the benign Pakistan pitches.
Although he looked set to reach that milestone on two occasions, he was dismissed in the 70s against the run of play. The 32-year-old is determined to get back to his best in the third Test in Lahore. He stated:
"That's a number that I haven't got out on too many times in my career. I have gone on to make big scores, particularly on such wickets. So I was definitely disappointed when I got out after working hard to get there and playing well up to that point. Hopefully can get into a similar position in this Test and go on and convert."
With the Lahore pitch likely to be of a similar nature to that of the first two Tests, it will be interesting to see what strategy Australia come up with.