Pakistan skipper Sarfraz Ahmed heaped praise on seamer Mohammad Abbas after the side’s 373-run over Australia in the second Test at Abu Dhabi.
The hosts completed a crushing victory on day four having set the Aussie a mammoth target of 538 to capture the two-match series 1-0. Abbas was the star of the show for Pakistan once again with the pacer picking up another five-wicket haul to take his series tally to 17.
“I think it was a great win today and credit goes to all my bowlers, especially Mohammad Abbas. The way he bowled throughout, he was the main factor for us winning the series,” the Pakistan skipper stated following the culmination of the series.
“I think they (Australia) did not prepare well for him, looks like they took Abbas lightly. Again, credit goes to Abbas because the pitch was not suited for fast bowlers. The way he was bowling, he was the best bowler from both teams,” he continued.
Asked if he was surprised by Australia’s capitulation, Sarfraz replied: “I am not surprised. If you see the two teams, both are lacking senior players.
“If you see the way we played the first match, we almost won but unfortunately couldn’t. The way we played this Test, despite losing five early wickets and not starting well, I am not surprised. Credit goes to my team.
“The way we came back shows we are more mentally stronger than Australia. Credit goes to Fakhar Zaman, he played really well with me. In the second innings, Azhar Ali played really well along with Fakhar, Asad Shafiq and Babar Azam. All batters did well. If you see the performances in the two Tests, Pakistan were the better team.”
Terming the series victory as a ‘much needed’ one for Pakistan, Sarfraz praised the team management for allowing debutants like Zaman to flourish.
Fakhar Zaman had a promising Test debut with the bat.
“We really needed this win. The way the team has performed in the two Tests, be it the batsmen or bowlers, was commendable. The win was needed and coming to Zaman, he played really well,” Sarfraz said.
“The players who have made their debuts under my captaincy, everyone has created a huge impact. This means our team management has given them complete support. We support them fully and they have repaid that faith by performing,” he added.
Despite the convincing margin of victory, the Pakistan skipper believes his side needs to improve in a few areas.
“I wouldn’t call it the best Test team yet since there are still a few areas we need to improve. We gave away too many soft wickets for my liking and I intend to discuss this with my batsmen.
“We have shared dressing room with the likes of Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq earlier. Younis bhai use to tell us to go for big scores in Test cricket once you are in and that is an area we need to improve. Apart from that, we need to improve our spin department which is usually our strongest aspect. We also need another fast bowler apart from Abbas who can perform in all conditions.”
The Test also saw Pakistan veteran Azhar Ali fall to a comical run-out in the second innings.
Azhar Ali was run-out in comical fashion in the second innings.
Giving his take on the incident, Sarfraz said: “When the ball went towards the boundary, I thought it was an easy two. Then I saw what happened and was shocked.
“The entire team was shocked and we were scratching our heads in disbelief. These things happen, sometimes you don’t get as famous for scoring a triple ton than you get for a run-out.”
Australia have been trying to shed their ‘aggressive’ image following the ball-tampering and sledging scandal earlier this year. However, Sarfraz, who had a spat with Nathan Lyon in the middle while batting, admitted that things did get a little heated.
“We weren’t talking about culture but something else. We had an ongoing spat. They are going through a process after their recent happenings and are trying to change their image. However, it wasn’t like the atmosphere was totally polite in the middle. There were other things going on there,” the wicketkeeper-batsman explained.
Sarfraz did not take the field on the fourth day after sustaining a blow to his head on Thursday but the skipper revealed that the injury is nothing serious.
“Yesterday I was hit by a ball by Peter Siddle. Today when I woke up early morning at 5, I was experiencing some headaches. I had it checked at the hospital and underwent some MRI scans. Everything is clear. The doctor said I have a mild concussion and advised me 48 hours of rest,” the victorious skipper said.
