Babar Azam plays captain’s knock of 196 runs to draw Karachi Test.
“Credit to Abdullah Shafiq for the way he played,” Babar says.
Babar says Pakistan to learn from mistakes ahead of Lahore Test.
KARACHI: Pakistan captain Babar Azam has revealed that Pakistan would have gone with the mindset of chasing the mammoth target against Australia if they had not lost his wicket a post-tea.
Pakistan managed to draw the 2nd Test against Australia after surviving 171.4 overs — the most by a team to draw a five-day-Test as they scored 443-7 at the close of play chasing the target of 506.
Pakistan were earlier bowled out for 148 in the first innings and were 21 for 2 in the second innings but Babar Azam played a match-saving inning of 196 following his patient partnerships with Abdullah Shafiq and Mohammad Rizwan.
They needed 196 runs from 36 overs in the last session of play with six wickets in hands and, at that moment, there was a sight of intent before Babar lost his wicket, which was followed by wickets of Faheem Ashraf and Sajid Khan.
That moment panicked many — but Babar was unfazed.
“I didn’t panic despite our team losing back-to-back wickets because I was confident that the tail-enders are capable enough of saving this match,” Babar said after the historic draw in Karachi.
“We wanted to play normally till tea and then see the situation post-tea. I think if I had not lost my wicket, we would’ve opted for the mindset to chase the target,” he said.
Pakistan captain Babar Azam speaks to journalists after the second Pakistan-Australia Test match in Karachi, on March 16, 2022. — Photo by author
Babar said that after a dismal show in the first innings, he tried to motivate his team and told them that what’s done is done and Pakistan can still save this match.
He said that he was focused on imparting a sense of self-belief among the players ahead of the second innings.
“Credit to Abdullah Shafiq for the way he played. He showed amazing patience and played a very important knock today which helped the team, and then towards the end, Muhammad Rizwan played a brilliant knock,” Babar said.
“I am happy to play the knock that I played, as this knock holds very value for me because the team needed it and it helped Pakistan save the Test match,” the Pakistani captain said.
He said that the pitch offered the same reverse and spin to both the bowlers, there was not much swing even in the first innings but Pakistan lost wickets to soft dismissals and by committing mistakes.
He said that team will try to learn from mistakes and will do even better in Lahore Test.
“We will try to convert our goods into our best and learn from the mistakes that we made in this match ahead of the Lahore Test,” the Pakistani captain said.
Replying to a question, Babar Azam said he hoped that the 3rd Test in Lahore would produce results.
“We will think about our strategy once we are in Lahore and see the pitch there,” Azam concluded.
After losing to India in Sunday’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025 match, Pakistan captain Muhammad Rizwan acknowledged that his team did not take advantage of winning the toss.
According to Rizwan, India’s bowlers controlled the middle overs, limiting Pakistan to 240 runs after they had set a goal of 280.
“When Saud Shakeel and I were batting, our plan was to take the game deep, but our shot selection was poor, which cost us wickets at crucial moments,” Rizwan said. He admitted that India’s bowling attack limited Pakistan’s ability to reach a competitive score.
Rizwan also praised the efforts of India’s hitters, especially Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli, who stole the match from Pakistan with their outstanding batting. Rizwan said, “In ODI cricket, you have to perform in all three aspects,” highlighting his team’s general inability to win the match.
The skipper of Pakistan also emphasized the necessity to strengthen their fielding by highlighting persistent errors. “We have been consistently making the same errors, particularly when fielding. Going forward, we must work on these,” he continued.
Indian captain Rohit Sharma, meanwhile, commended his team’s teamwork in the victory and gave bowlers Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, and Ravindra Jadeja credit for holding Pakistan to a low score.
“Our bowlers performed admirably in keeping Pakistan’s score down. Things were difficult because of Saud Shakeel and Rizwan’s alliance, but we followed our plan,” Sharma stated.
“Virat batted brilliantly today, but none of us in the dressing room are surprised by his performance,” Sharma said in reference to Virat Kohli’s game-winning innings.
Following Pakistan’s triumph over South Africa in the tri-nation series, Shaheen Shah Afridi acknowledged the issue of death bowling.
In response to the injury concern, the left-arm pacer stated, “My finger is fine; I underwent an X-ray.” Some swelling persists, but I anticipate improvement shortly. These matches are essential for preparation for the Champions Trophy 2025.
Commenting on his interaction with a South African batsman, Shaheen stated, “For the first time, he remained silent.” I was the one instigating him to lose his wicket.
Prioritizing collective effort over personal achievements, Shaheen stated, “This is not about Babar or Shaheen—it is about Pakistan.” “The presence of negativity will hinder progress in any context.”
During Wednesday’s match, tensions escalated when Shaheen Shah Afridi confronted Matthew Breetzke, necessitating intervention from the on-field umpire and other players to separate them.
During a crucial tri-series encounter at Karachi’s National Stadium, South African batsman Matthew Breetzke and Pakistani pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi engaged in a contentious confrontation. Matthew Breetzke and Shaheen Shah Afridi were engaged in a confrontational exchange in a video that gained widespread attention on social media.
Matthew Breetzke, who scored a century in the previous match against New Zealand in Lahore, edged a delivery to the onside in the 28th over of the innings. Shaheen Afridi appeared displeased when the 26-year-old nearly collided with the left-arm fast bowler while dashing between the wickets to converse with Breetzke.
While alternate routes and designated parking spots have been set up to ensure seamless traffic flow, the traffic police say Sir Shah Suleman Road would remain open for regular traffic on match days.
Travellers from Karsaz can park their cars beneath the flyover at the China Ground and National Coaching Centre.
Parking for those travelling from Millennium will also be available at China Ground and the National Coaching Centre.
The same parking lots are open to New Town visitors.
To prevent any disruption, Karachi Police have stressed that cars should only be parked in approved spots. For a hassle-free commute on match days, commuters are encouraged to plan their routes appropriately and heed traffic police instructions.
Traffic Diversions: To alleviate congestion on match days, heavy traffic will be rerouted from Sohrab Goth to Nipa and Liaquatabad No. 10 to Hassan Square. There will also be a rerouting of heavy vehicles from People’s Chowrangi via University Road.
Heavy Traffic Restricted Roads: The following roads will not be open to heavy traffic:
Millennium to New Town Stadium Signal to Hassan Square Karsaz to Stadium