‘Reverse swing is manageable due to slow pitch’, says Faheem Ashraf

By our correspondent

KARACHI: A reverse swing was seen on the second day of the Test between Pakistan and Australia here at the National Stadium but it did not prove to be more productive for the bowlers.

And Pakistan’s all-rounder Faheem Ashraf said that the reverse swing was manageable due to the slow nature of the pitch.

“Fast bowlers tried their best to benefit from the reverse swing. Everyone put in their best but the pitch was slow and was easy for the batsmen to cope with the reverse swing,” Faheem told a post-match virtual news conference on Sunday.

Faheem himself did well to take 2-55 in 21 overs which included the scalps of David Warner (36) and Nathan Lyon (38). The batsmen again prevailed on the second straight day as Australia amassed 505-8 in their first innings.

Faheem said that he tried to bowl wicket-to-wicket and that helped.

“My plan was the same as of the team. If the pitch is slow, so the best way is to keep the ball wicket-to-wicket and don’t leak runs. In all three formats if you bowl wicket-to-wicket you will concede less runs and you will also get a chance to take a wicket. And we tried to do that,” said Faheem, who missed the first Test in Rawalpindi due to fitness issues.

The all-rounder said that on the Karachi track if a bowler bowls with great effort and force then he can extract a little bit of assistance.

“The pitch is a bit slow but if bowlers work hard and bowl with force then they also get a little bit of support,” Faheem said.

Faheem sees the wicket to change its behaviour as cracks may get widened in the next couple of days.

“The wicket here is a little bit different from Pindi. It is expected that the behaviour of this track will change during the next two days as its cracks may get open. I cannot say anything certain. If we do our best as in Pindi Pakistan did well here too hosts will do well,” Faheem said. Faheem still sees result on the pitch and Pakistan’s chances as well.

“Now still if we play very well and take the lead then pressure will be there on Australia in the second innings as it is hot here and there is a chance that the cracks will open. Hopefully the game will be decided,” Faheem said.

Faheem made it clear if the pitch does not respond so effort is made to do something different to create some chances.

Pakistani pace bowlers on Sunday bowled with full effort and also tested the Australian batsmen with short-pitched deliveries, bouncers and Yorkers but the visitors were able to bat till the end, pocketing a huge total which means that Australia now cannot lose this game as history shows.