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"If you lose 6 for 17...": Pakistan coach defends Lahore pitch after collapse against SA

Soumyajit Dutta

Babar Azam and Azhar Mahmood [Source: @CricketFaruuq/X.com]Babar Azam and Azhar Mahmood [Source: @CricketFaruuq/X.com]

South Africa gained the upper hand after Day 3 of the first Test against Pakistan in Lahore, needing just 226 runs to win. Led by Aiden Markram, the visitors looked confident at 51/2 heading into Day 4. Pakistan collapsed in their second innings, getting bundled out for only 167 runs after holding a strong position earlier in the day.

Interim red-ball head coach Azhar Mahmood expressed disappointment over the team’s batting collapse and poor shot selection.

Azhar blames poor shot selection

Pakistan were comfortably placed at 259/4 on Day 3 before losing their last six wickets for just 17 runs, setting South Africa a target of 277. Speaking after the match, Mahmood admitted that the spin-friendly pitch was difficult to bat on but said the batting frailties were evident. 

"We put ourselves in this situation [where South Africa have a chance in the game]. We were 150 for 4, and then lost 6 for 17. No one is to blame but our shot selection and decision-making. It's simple. If you lose 6 for 17, that's not ideal. The pitch allowed the ball to break but the pitch didn't get anyone out. Our shot selection was not good. This is something we need to improve," Mahmood said.

He added that the surface tends to ease up for batters as play progresses, calling for more patience from Pakistan’s lineup.

"Against England, we played on a used pitch, and then it spun a lot versus West Indies. But on this pitch, if you bat well, it gets easier. Because the pitch is slow, it's hard for a newcomer to get set. In the first innings, we had starts, but we couldn't convert 50s to 100s. In the second innings, Abdullah [Shafique] and Babar [Azam] scored 40s, but we'd like to see them turn into big scores," Mahmood added.

The expectations from Babar Azam is not surprising. The senior Pakistan star managed only 23 runs from his first innings and 42 in his second while batting at No. 4. While playing the role of an anchor, Babar is expected to fare better with the numbers to lead to a much better team total.

Mahmood acknowledges mistakes

Mahmood further admitted the collapse of the middle and lower order, which was run down by Senuran Muthusamy and Simon Harmer as the duo bagged 9 wickets in total.

"It's not easy, but we have to adapt different kinds of shots to improve our scoring options on these pitches. The middle and lower order tried, but the pressure got to them. At tea, we wanted to bat the whole session, but we did not. We made those mistakes and we will have a look at that in the future," Mahmood concluded.

Following the conclusion of the 1st Test, the remaining matches of the three-match series will be played at Rawalpindi on October 20 and October 28.