We have learnt to keep fighting: Sarfraz
Pakistan skipper Sarfraz Ahmad was in his best mood following his team’s 1-0 series win against Australia yesterday. All those frowns on his forehead before the start of the crucial second Test had vanished. Yes, he suffered from concussion and even missed the fourth day’s play, but that was due to the blow he received to the back of his helmet the previous day.
To lead the fightback from 57-5 with a knock of 94 in the first innings and then 81 in the second before inspiring the team to go on to win the match and series has got the skipper smiling again.
“There’s a lot to learn from something like this. The first is that you never, ever give up. To bounce back, there can’t be many teams that can come back from losing five in the first session and then to win in four days by such a big margin. That is what I’ve learnt, to keep fighting,” said an elated Sarfraz.
“We have learnt to make sure that whatever batsmen you have left in an innings, they need to keep batting,” said Sarfraz, who also hailed the performance of his pacer Mohammad Abbas for his heroics with the ball.
“Credit goes to all my bowlers, especially to Abbas. The way he bowled throughout the series was the main factor for us winning the series,” said Sarfraz.
Australians, on the other hand, will have go back to the drawing board. With first Test’s rescue-man Usman Khawaja (pictured) failing at the top of the order in the first innings and knee injury ruling him out of action in the second, the team couldn’t post a decent total on the board. Both Marsh brothers, Shaun and Mitchell were left soul-searching for answers with repeated failures with the willow.
On a wicket where Abbas revelled, Peter Siddle and Mitchell Starc were ordinary and in the end, things weighed a bit too much on the lone shoulders of off-spinner Nathan Lyon. “It’s bitterly disappointing, no doubt. We...started really well here and then from 57 for five, it went a bit pear shaped — to be honest all over the field,” said Australian skipper Tim Paine.