After being put on backfoot by resilient Bangladesh Pakistan blame pitch
Just three days into the PAK vs BAN 1st Test at Rawalpindi team Pakistan have resorted to blame games. The assistant coach of Pakistan Azhar Mahmood claimed that the hosts’ reading of the pitch wasn’t wrong but it was the surface’s fault for not behaving the way they expected. Pakistan were put on the back foot by Bangladesh on Day 3 as they inched closer to the 448-run total.
Speaking after Day 3, Mahmood attempted to justify Pakistan playing just one spinner by saying that they though that the surface would favour the seamers. He claimed that the rain on Day 1 before the game changed the nature of the surface.
Azhar Mahmood said, “We can’t do anything about the fact it [the pitch] didn’t behave that way We didn’t make a mistake reading the pitch, it just didn’t play like we thought it should.”
Bangladesh trail by 132 runs at stumps on Day 3. Both Litton Das and Mushfiqur remain unbeaten on fifties to steady the ship for the visitors. Pakistan frustrated the visitors on Day 2, dominating all the three sessions.
The epic partnership of 240-run between Rizwan and Shakeel powered Pakistan to a mammoth 448-run total. Pakistan skipper Shan Masood decided to declare at 448/6, forcing Bangladesh to bat for 12 overs.