Lahore: Pakistan skipper Babar Azam has asserted that the Pakistan team will give their 100 per cent in Round 2 of their highly-anticipated clash against India in the Asia Cup Super Four.
Pakistan kicked off the Super Four with a dominant 7-wicket victory against Bangladesh on Wednesday in the Gaddafi Stadium.
The ‘Men in Green’ will be eager to keep their unbeaten run alive against their arch-rival as the Asia Cup heads towards a two-day break.
“This win will give us confidence, we are always ready for a big match. We will give our 100% in the next match,” Babar said in the post-match presentation.
While reflecting back on the match, Babar lauded the performance of his pace bowlers who bagged 9 wickets to put them in a pole position in the first innings.
“Too much heat, but full credit to the fast bowlers. First Shaheen and then Haris Rauf. We planned on picking Faheem because we saw the pitches here, there was grass on it and we like that also. Always when we play here, the crowd supports us and I hope all of them enjoyed this match,” Babar added.
Coming to the match, Imam-ul-Haq’s tangled knock and Mohammad Rizwan’s sturdy 63* were enough to kick off Pakistan’s Super 4 campaign began on a triumphant note.
Left-handed opener Imam-ul-Haq announced his arrival in the Asia Cup with his rollicking knock of 78 to keep Pakistan’s unbeaten run in the Asia Cup intact.
While chasing a low total of 194, Pakistan kept their nerves cool, looking to rotate strikes on every possibility, dealing in boundaries before the floodlights went off and halted the play at Lahore forcing the players to leave the field after the fifth over.
India will face Pakistan on Sunday at the R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo. Captain Shakib Al Hasan
Captain Shakib Al Hasan did not shy away from admitting that Bangladesh “played some ordinary shots” which led them to their downfall in the Asia Cup Super Four and said now they need to move forward.
Imam-ul-Haq’s tangled knock and Mohammad Rizwan’s sturdy 63* were enough to kick off Pakistan’s Super 4 campaign began on a triumphant note at the Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday.
“We lost at the start, they bowled really well and we played some ordinary shots. On a wicket like this, we shouldn’t have lost four wickets in 10 overs. We had a very good partnership, we should have got going for 7-8 overs,” Shakib Al Hasan said during a post-match presentation.
The all-rounder lauded Pakistan’s “three world-class frontline bowlers” as the hosts bundled out Bangladesh for 193. Pakistan’s pacers shredded Bangladesh’s batting lineup as Haris Rauf claimed a four-wicket haul and Naseem Shah scalped three.
“After I got out, there were no more partnerships. Very poor batting display on a surface like this. They (Pakistan) are the number one team, they’ve got three world-class frontline bowlers. If they can do that, it gets easier for their batsmen,” Al Hasan said.
Al Hasan said that they have been doing well in the bowling department, however, Bangladesh need to improve.
“We have been doing well in our bowling department. Batting at this moment is a little bit hot and cold. We need to be consistent and that’s what we’ll try to do. Our three seamers bowled brilliantly. They have been bowling well for the last couple of years. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get the wickets. It wasn’t a pitch where you can get wickets unless batsmen make a mistake. When I played the LPL, the pitches were slow. If that happens, it suits us better. Hopefully, we do well in Colombo,” the Bangladesh captain said.
Bangladesh will next face Sri Lanka in their Super Four match here at R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Saturday. (ANI)