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Head coach Azhar Mahmood bemoaned the familiar flaw of Pakistan's team and pointed to his side's first-innings collapse as the turning point in their defeat against South Africa during the second Test in Rawalpindi.
South Africa notched a Test win in Pakistan after 18 years, with an eight-wicket triumph in Rawalpindi, concluding the two-match series level on 1-1. The first innings collapse that saw the hosts lose five wickets for 17 runs, falling from 316/6 to 333, was the reason behind Pakistan's defeat, according to Mahmood. "The first innings collapse was where it started. We lost 5 for 17. We should have posted 400-425 there, which was the position we'd put ourselves in. Agha and Rizwan were building a partnership which we couldn't utilise," Mahmood said at the post-match press conference, according to ESPNcricinfo. "This is the fourth time in two Tests that we've lost wickets lower down the order cheaply. This is not acceptable, and we need to take responsibility. We spoke about this at our two camps. Whenever your top players score 270-300, the contribution from the lower order really matters," he added. Throughout the two-match affair, Mahmood has been critical of Pakistan's batting collapses. He unleashed a scathing tirade midway through the first Test after Pakistan lost five scalps for 16 runs in the first innings, slumping from 362/5 to 378. Despite the major setback, Pakistan's spin magic pulled them out of the dire situation and steered the hosts to an imposing 93-run triumph. Pakistan captain Shan Masood put the issue into the spotlight after his side lost six for 17 in the second innings following the conclusion of the fixture in Lahore. Despite constant nudges to resolve the issue, the trend persisted in the second Test. On Thursday, Pakistan began the day on 94/4 but crumbled to 105/8, losing their last six for 43 runs, setting up a straightforward chase for the Proteas. "You also have to give credit to the opposition. South Africa were much better than us in this department. We could have taken the lead, but credit goes to Muthuswamy, the way he played; his shot selection was perfect. He put on 70 with Maharaj and 98 with Rabada. If you play with a quality team and you give them several chances in a brief period of time, they will punish you. That's what happened, and we allowed them extra runs," Mahmood said. "You have to work on your game and know your scoring shots. You can learn from the opposition. Muthuswamy scored primarily from the sweep and reverse sweep. You should know your scoring options. When we went to bat, we started blocking early. If we had rotated the strike and put pressure on them, we could have pushed them off their lengths. The way they did - though of course a low target made it easier. You need mental toughness; international cricket is all about how you cope with pressure," he added. (ANI)
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