Pakistans Day in Imams Eyes, Yet the Opener Refuses to Relax

Despite still trailing on the scoreboard at the end of the second day of the Mirpur Test, Pakistan appeared to have taken control of the contest. A fiery bowling spell from Mohammad Abbas followed by composed batting from Azan Awais and Abdullah Fazal helped the visitors seize the momentum. Although there was a sense of comfort in the Pakistan dressing room after the day’s play, opener Imam-ul-Haq is not ready to call the position safe just yet.

Speaking at the post-day press conference, Imam-ul-Haq shared his assessment of Pakistan’s performance and believed his side dominated every session of the day.

He said, “You can say it was Pakistan’s day today. Bowling the opposition out for under 100 runs and then being 170 for 1 means we won all the sessions. But the beauty of Test cricket is that it changes very quickly. You need to stay patient. Tomorrow will decide which way this Test match is heading.”

After Pakistan wrapped up Bangladesh’s innings quickly, Imam also highlighted the positives from their batting performance. He particularly emphasized the importance of scoring at a good pace and building strong partnerships.

Imam said, “Bangladesh started the day on 300 (301) for 4, but we took their remaining 7 (6) wickets within the next 110 runs. Then the most positive aspect was our batting. We scored quickly and built good partnerships. Being 170 for 1 has put us in a very good position.”

However, the Pakistani opener is not willing to make any predictions about the outcome of the match yet. He believes the pitch could behave differently as the game progresses, especially with spinners likely to come into play on the third and fourth days.

Keeping that in mind, Imam said, “It is too early to talk about the lead. Tomorrow will be the ‘moving day’ and it will be very important for us. If we can bat the entire day tomorrow in the same manner, it will be great. Small cracks are appearing on the wicket and they will open up more with time. Even today, some deliveries showed up-and-down movement. I think batting could become a bit difficult on the third or fourth day. That is why this innings is very important for us and we want to bat as long as possible. We are not thinking about any specific score, but if we can bat through the whole day tomorrow, the match will remain under our control.”