Imam hails Azan, Abbas for Pakistan comeback

After dismissed Bangladesh for 413 in the first innings, Pakistan ended the day strongly placed at 179-1, prompting Imam to describe it as a winning day for the visitors.

“Yes, you could say that (It’s a winning day),” Imam said after the day’s play. “Taking all the opposition’s wickets for under 100 and then reaching 179-1 means we won these sessions. But Test cricket changes very quickly and tomorrow will decide where this match is going.”

Imam reserved special praise for Abbas, whose disciplined bowling played a crucial role in Bangladesh’s collapse.

“Everybody knows how good Abbas is. When the conditions allow lateral movement, Abbas bowls very well. He constantly hits the right areas and asks questions from the batter,” he added. 

The left-handed opener said Abbas’s extensive domestic and county cricket experience makes him particularly effective in helpful conditions, reports BSS.

“It does not matter if you do not have much pace when the conditions suit you. When the partnership was going well, Abbas came in and played a crucial role in getting them all out,” he remarked. 

Imam also lauded Pakistan’s young batters, especially debutant Azan Awais, for showing unwavering resolve against Bangladesh’s pace attack led by Nahid Rana and Taskin Ahmed.

“If you prioritize red-ball and domestic cricket, it shows. Azan has played many first class matches and scored thousands of runs. That experience reflected in the way he handled pressure today,” he clarified. 

Azan was struck on the helmet during his innings but recovered strongly, something Imam attributed to the youngster’s temperament and domestic experience.

“After the first quick ball hit him, the way he responded was very good. I just told him to watch the ball, forget what happened and refocus.”
Assessing the pitch, Imam said the surface remained good for batting after the initial phase but expected conditions to become tougher as the match progressed.

“There are small cracks opening up and we saw some uneven bounce today,” he said. “It will become more difficult on the third or fourth day, so this innings is very important for us.”

Pakistan’s brisk scoring rate, close to four runs per over, was not part of any pre-set aggressive plan, according to Imam.

“There was no specific plan to attack. Modern day batters play a lot of white-ball cricket and that reflects in their game. Our theory was simple- if the ball is there to score, look for the boundary,” he informed. 

Imam also said Pakistan had regained balance in the match after recovering from Bangladesh’s strong first day.

“We started well today, took quick wickets and then batted positively,” he said. “I won’t say we are completely back because 400 is still a big score, but if we play well in the first hour tomorrow, we will definitely be in a strong position.”