Pakistan captain Babar Azam has predicted that another slow wicket in the third and decisive match of the Test series against Australia star...
Pakistan captain Babar Azam has predicted that another slow wicket in the third and decisive match of the Test series against Australia starting on Monday will test the patience and skill of the batsmen.
Babar Azam played a historic and memorable innings in the fourth innings of the Test match, when he challenged the Australian bowlers for more than 10 hours to score 196 runs and draw the Karachi Test to tie the series at 0-0. Played an important role in
Australian spinner Nathan Lyon and debutant league spinner Mitchell Swapson scored 172 runs in 108 overs in the fourth innings in Karachi. Pakistan scored 443-7 in five sessions to keep the visitors away from victory. Chasing only 63 runs.
Read also: Karachi Test Draw, Babar and Rizwan saved from defeat after an interesting match
Even in the drawn Test match in Rawalpindi, Australia took only 4 wickets out of 14 due to lifeless wickets and the pitch of Pindi Cricket Stadium was also declared as below average by the ICC. De Merit Point was also awarded.
Following the criticism of the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium wicket, the Pakistan Cricket Board contacted ICC Academy curator Toby Lamsden, who assisted the local ground staff in preparing the Lahore Test wicket.
Talking to reporters through video conference, Babar Azam said that this pitch is not very different, this pitch also looks like pitch to him but I think the ball will have some turn on this pitch.
There are small cracks in this pitch which can help the spinners, but due to the hot weather they can't say anything with 100% certainty, whatever the situation, our spinners are ready for it and will compete.
Read also: Great batting in the fourth innings, Babar Azam broke many records
Australia's historic first tour of Pakistan since 1998 has added to the significance of the decisive match of the series.
Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium will host its first Test in 13 years after a terrorist attack on a Sri Lankan team bus in 2009. The attack on the Sri Lankan team closed the doors of international cricket in Pakistan.
None of Pakistan players played a Test match at Gaddafi Stadium, while Babar Atam made his ODI debut here in 2015 against Zimbabwe when Pakistan sought to win the confidence of foreign teams and return home to international cricket. Efforts were initiated.
Test cricket resumed in Pakistan in 2019 when Sri Lanka toured Pakistan while Bangladesh and South Africa also played Test matches, but these matches were played in Karachi and Rawalpindi instead of Lahore.
Read also: Rawalpindi: First Test match draw between Pakistan and Australia
Babar Azam added that when you play on your home ground and in front of your home crowd, you have a different feeling.
Babar Azam further said that the performance of our team is improving day by day, so we think that we will go home and for sure this will be a moment of pride for all of us.
Pakistan are still considering which spinners to field for the Lahore Test, while Australia have retained the squad for the last match, which means that Mitchell Swapson will be with veteran off-spinner Nathan Lyon. There will be an opportunity in another match to demonstrate the skill of league spin on a slow wicket.
Australian captain Pat Cummins said that the pitch of Lahore looks very similar to the pitch of the last match, I can't say that the wicket is very different from the second match, so we think that if the reverse swing after the game Or if there is a need for a spin, we have completed all the preparations.
Read also: ICC declares Rawalpindi Test wicket substandard
Australia had a chance to take a 1-0 lead in the series by winning the match in Karachi, but it dropped three important catches which eventually led to a historic draw for Pakistan.
Opening batsman Abdullah Shafiq scored 96 in the second innings while Steve Smith dropped a catch for 20 in the slip.
Babar Azam got a chance at that time. Travis Head and Marin Lebushin dropped the Pakistani captain's catch on Mitchell Swapson's consecutive balls before tea on the last day.
"The wickets are very important in this series, so you can't afford to waste too many opportunities," said Pat Cummins. We had more than ten opportunities but unfortunately we could not take advantage of them.
Read also: David Warner hopes for better wicket preparation in Karachi Test
Due to the slow wickets in Pakistan, Australia has decided to keep fast bowler Josh Hazelwood out for the second consecutive Test match and Pat Cummins says that it was a difficult decision not to include Josh Hazelwood in the team but Mitchell Starc's reverse swing could help Australia take 20 wickets in the final Test.
Pat Cummins said the reverse swing was going to be the biggest factor and Mitchell Starc took three wickets in the first innings, playing brilliantly in the last Test.
It is always a difficult decision not to include a player like Josh Hazelwood in the team but in the current conditions Mitchell Starc may give us the best chance to take 20 wickets.
Team Australia:
David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marin Leboschin, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins (captain), Mitchell Stark, Mitchell Swapson, Nathan Lyon.
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