Babar who along with Fawad Alam led the team from to a better position through their long partnership says they had the target of 300 to 350 runs in the first innings against West Indies.
LAHORE: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-August 21st, 2021) Pakistan’s skipper Babar Azam said that his team would meet the targets for the second Test match in a two-match ICC World Test Championship series against West Indies.
The series is being played at Sabrina Park, Jamaica.
The 26-year old captain said, “ We will meet the targets as Muhammad Rizwan and Faheem Ashraf are still there on the crease,”. He said that 300 to 350 runs were their target in the first innings.
He went out to explain the factors behind the preset performance, saying that the pitch was favouring bowlers. Fawad Alam, he said, however, held out his full support following the fall of three early wickets.
He said that he and Fawad both decided to stay on the crease for long, because we wanted the long-term partnership to get the team out of trouble.
“We had set the target of 300 to 350 runs in the first innings,” he added. He stated that he was trying his best to improve the performance in the Test match.
“Thank God that my hard working bearing fruit,” said Babar, while lavishing praise on teammate Fawad Alam. The skipper said that other cricketers should learn from the way Fawad performed in difficult times.
He stated that Fawad Alam was in excellent form and he was playing marvellous cricket. He also said that Fawad had cramps and a team doctor and physio specialist were putting their efforts for his treatment.
“Fawad will be back to field to bat,” he said, optimistically.
Fawad Alam and Babar led the team out of trouble as they lifted it from a horrific start to end day one of the second Test against the West Indies in relative comfort at 212 for four at Sabina Park on Friday.
Babar's composed 75 through almost five hours at the crease and Fawad's typically pugnacious 76 before retiring hurt from severe leg cramps just after tea rescued the tourists from the depths of three for two.
Kemar Roach once again led the charge with the ball for the home side, taking three for 49 off 17 overs, striking in his first two overs of the match.
He then returned in the final session to claim the all-important wicket of Babar when the Pakistan captain appeared to be moving serenely towards a sixth Test century.
His fourth-wicket stand with Fawad was worth 158 when the awkward-looking left-hander had to limp off the field on a sweltering afternoon in the Jamaican capital where temperatures hit 34 degrees.
Those dehydrating conditions also claimed West Indies wicketkeeper Joshua da Silva who was replaced by Jahmar Hamilton for the rest of the day when the first-choice gloveman left the field just before tea.
Despite Babar's dismissal and the temporary loss of Fawad, Pakistan remain on course for a challenging first innings total with Mohammad Rizwan and Faheem Ashraf set to resume on the second morning in a fifth-wicket partnership that has added 44 runs.
