ABU DHABI: Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq said that going in with four spinners in the deciding One-Day International in Sharjah had crossed their mind but they also needed to be cautious about a spin-heavy attack if they end up bowling second.
The sweltering heat and humidity have been key factors which has caused dew in both the games in Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. The bowlers have struggled to grip the ball while bowling second.Pakistan had lost the first One-Day International of the Bank Alfalah presents Cool & Cool Cup in Sharjah but gave a fitting riposte in the second ODI in Abu Dhabi.“Playing a fourth spinner depends on what sort of wicket we get in Sharjah. One more thing that we have to keep in mind is that we may have to bowl second again. So, it might be a problem for the spinners because of the dew factor. We have to look into everything,” said Misbah.
He said that despite the win, they need to be wary of Australia. “Australia are a top side. So, we have to play really well in the next game. They will come hard at us and we have to get ready for the next game,” he said.Misbah said that it was a good toss to lose because of the dew factor. Australia posted 248, batting first. But they were unable to defend that total because of stoic batting from Pakistan and a wet ball.
“It was a good toss to lose because both the teams were not sure what may happen. The day before the match, there wasn’t much dew. And also in Sharjah, it wasn’t that bad. But, tonight, the dew was a major factor,” he said.He was pleased with the way Nasir Jamshed and Mohammed Hafeez batted. The openers put up a strong reply by stiching together 66 runs. That laid the foundation for the chase.
“Mohammad Hafeez and Nasir Jamshed are naturally aggressive batsmen. If they stay at the crease, they will score runs quickly. Jamshed, especially, played many shots and had a wonderful balance. The key for us was that he batted through and he made this chase easy. In chasing a big total, there is bound to be pressure, especially against a good Australian side. We got a good start and that added to the confidence and made our task easy. The dew also helped us,” Misbah said. – Khaleejnews
