"We wanted a track with some turn for the spinners" - Babar Azam on Rawalpindi's pitch for 1st Test against England
Pakistan captain Babar Azam has highlighted that the hosts didn't get the track they demanded in Rawalpindi for the first Test against England. The right-handed batter said they wanted a pitch with something in it for the spinners.
The pitch for the first Test has come under intense scrutiny due to its lifelessness for the most part. England smashed their way to 657 in the first innings, including a total of over 500 on the opening day, before gaining a 78-run lead. Later, the tourists set Pakistan 343 for victory, but they collapsed to 268 all-out and conceded a series lead.
Pakistan Captain Babar Azam's press conference at Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi.
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In the post-match press conference, Babar said his advice was taken for pitch preparation but wasn't executed for some reason.
"Yes, my input was there in the preparation of the pitch and we made it clear what we wanted but we didn’t get that because of the weather or whatever reason. But we wanted a track with some turn for the spinners."
Across both innings, Pakistan's bowlers were expensive as the tourists ran riot with the bat. England scored at a rate of 6.50 in the first innings, followed by 7.36 in the second.
"Never easy to come back after the opposition scores 500 on the first day" - Babar Azam
While the 28-year-old credited England for batting aggressively, he lamented his bowlers being inconsistent. Babar added:
"We were expecting they would continue to play like that against us. I think it becomes difficult for a captain when your bowlers are not hitting the right areas and runs are being scored both sides of the wicket. It is never easy to come back after the opposition scores 500 on the first day. I thought we batted well and came close to their total but in the second innings our batters didn’t live up to the responsibility."
An absorbing game of Test cricket.
England win the first Test by 74 runs 🏏
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Multan will host the second Test of the series, which will start on December 9.