Pak vs Aus: ‘I think the ball will turn here for sure,’ says Babar Azam

LAHORE: Babar Azam, Pakistan’s captain, has stated that spinners will be used in the third Test, which begins tomorrow at Gaddafi Stadium.

The previous two Tests, held in Rawalpindi and Karachi, were both drawn, indicating that hitters had dominated the series thus far.

Pakistan earned a lot of confidence after their performance in the Karachi Test, where they batted for nearly two days to save a draw despite being blown out for 148 in their first innings.

Pakistan’s resurgence was led by captain Babar Azam, who set a new career high with a 196 on a challenging strokeplay circuit.

“There is not a lot of difference, it looks the same,” said Babar ahead of the third Test in a virtual press conference.

“I think the ball will turn here for sure, the cracks are not quite open, they are very little. And in that case, spinners get help and there will be rough patches. I think the wicket will play different as compared to Karachi.”

This is the first time Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium has hosted a Test match since 2009, and the city is home to numerous Pakistan players, including Babar Azam and veteran Azhar Ali.

Azhar, who made his Test debut in 2010, has played in 93 Tests for Pakistan, but this will be the first time he does so at his home ground.

“I can’t explain the feelings,” said Babar. “You have a different feeling when you play on your home ground and before your home crowd.

“Definitely, it means a lot. If you win against Australia in a home series, it would be a proud moment for us as a team and the way our side is improving day by day, it will give us a lot of confidence. Our mindset will be to win, rest is in Allah’s hands.”

When asked about his preparation for Mitchell Starc’s ability to swing the ball away from right-handers from behind the wicket, Babar stated his team was aware of the approach and had trained extensively using a taped tennis ball.

“Look in these conditions, you definitely get reverse swing for sure. For that you have to prepare before the series. We practiced a lot with the tape ball. We taped one side and left the other side, you get a lot of reverse swing with that.

“We also practiced that angle from around the wicket with a sidearm and we prepared beforehand. We knew that if he doesn’t get swing from over the wicket, he will go around the wicket with the reverse swing and swings it away from us plus he gets help from that angle as well. We were prepared for that and did these drills.”

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