"Chasing 300 is possible on this track" : Azhar Ali

[Abdullah719]

Pakistan's top order batsman Azhar Ali is confident that if his team keeps Sri Lanka's lead to 300, they should be able to chase down the target. Sri Lanka took a massive 220 run lead in the first innings in the second Test in Dubai, but then collapsed to 34 for five in their second essay as left-arm quick Wahab Riaz took three wickets.

Pakistan are 1-0 down in the series and need to win the second Test to maintain their unbeaten run at home that stretches back to ten years.

"We were left with 15 overs to have a crack at them and we thought it was a good opportunity. They had got a big lead but then third innings is important. It has given us a bit of hope. We thought that we will be left with a big target to chase, but this session has given us a little bit of hope. Hopefully we will have a good session tomorrow and bowl them out cheaply. Chasing 300 is possible on this track," Azhar told journalists.

Azhar, who reached 5000 Test runs during the Abu Dhabi Test is Pakistan's senior most batsman following the retirements of Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq. He top scored in the first innings in Abu Dhabi with 85 runs and once again was the top scorer in Dubai with 59 runs.

"These kind of wickets that you get here, you need to make it big. It's a slow wicket and hard to get a start, but once you get settled it becomes easy. It's disappointing that even in the first game, lot of us - including me - had got starts and couldn't kick on. But we are still positive. The guys are playing well. Everyone wants to make it big. It has not happened yet but we have one innings left and hopefully someone will make it big. You never know in this game."

Azhar has all the reasons to be positive as the last series these two teams were involved in, saw Pakistan chase down a target of 377 at Pallekele. It is a record run chase in Sri Lanka and Pakistan won with seven wickets to spare to clinch the series 2-1.

"We have chased 370 plus runs to beat Sri Lanka in a Test match and that should give us confidence," Azhar added.

http://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-news/97658/chasing-300-possible-on-this-wicket-azhar-ali

 

[msb314]

Really need Azhar to step up and guide us in the 4th innings chase.

He needs to go on to make a big hundred - esp since Babar, Shafiq and Sarfraz are out of form.

 

[The_Odd_One]

No, it is extremely unlikely to chase 300 with the type of batsman Pakistan has.

 

[CricFan2012]

That Pallekele side was without Herath... impossible with Herath, he needs to somehow slip and injur himself tomorrow for any chance

 

[Buffet]

I think 300 is chase-able, but Pakistanis need to play Herath well.

 

[90MPH]

Well If it's one team that can chase 300 against Sri Lanka its Pakistan.

They chased 385 2 years ago and and they 300 in Sharjah 2014 in 60 overs on the last day.

Time isn't an issue either but the track will get more turn so Sri Lanka still def favourites but Pak at least have a chance to get back considering it looked impossible situation during middle of the day.

 

[Syed1]

Tu hi hai larkay.... Shan, Sami, Asad aur Babar se koi umeed nahi.


If Pakistan is going to chase 300+, Azhar has to score 120-150. Harry and Saifi to score 50 odd each and the rest of the no-hoppers need to chip in with 10-20 each.

 

[Rayyman]

Need to promote Haris to #4 or #5. Babar should move down to #6.

 

[Abdul]

Need to promote Haris to #4 or #5. Babar should move down to #6.

Think it'd be a wise idea if Sarfaraz promotes himself to number five/six OR Babar is told to play like he does in ODIs!

 

[QalandarFan]

Need to promote Haris to #4 or #5. Babar should move down to #6.

I agree the lineup should be like this

1. Sami
2. Shan
3. Azhar
4. Haris
5. Babar
6. Asad
7. Sarfraz

You can't have Haris coming in at 6 the way he is batting.

 

[Rayyman]

I agree the lineup should be like this

1. Sami
2. Shan
3. Azhar
4. Haris
5. Babar
6. Asad
7. Sarfraz

You can't have Haris coming in at 6 the way he is batting.

No way Shafiq is playing at #6. Play him at #4 or #5 and if he fails then he can't make excuses.

 

[Rayyman]

Think it'd be a wise idea if Sarfaraz promotes himself to number five/six OR Babar is told to play like he does in ODIs!

I don't trust Sarfraz.

He would probably score 10-30 runs only. Him getting out early would put extra pressure on the batting order that the captain is out.

 

[giri26]

Chasing 300 will be difficult but not impossible. It will all depend on how soon Pakistan can bowl SL out tomorrow. If they bowl them under 100, the momentum will be with Pakistan but if SL escape to a score of 130-150, SL will run with the game. They still have Mendis at the crease and Dickwella and Perera to come in, so Pakistan need to keep the pressure on and try and bowl them out under a hundred.

 

[Suleiman]

Another 300+ chase Azhar will need to ace against the same opposition.

 

[FreePalestine]

not likely

 

[Big Mac]

That Pallekele side was without Herath... impossible with Herath, he needs to somehow slip and injur himself tomorrow for any chance

My memory might be faulty but Herath didn't play in Pallekele because he was getting phainty in the earlier tests iirc.

Herath played in the maghrib chase as well.

It's not impossible, just unlikely. If we can bowl them out cheaply then we have a chance of getting a good start before the pitch really starts to act up and then Sri Lanka might start to panic.

Of course, we could just collapse for 87 instead.

 

[Anis10]

Need to bring Harris at 4 to have any chance of wining

 

[IndYeah1]

Anything below 325 and Pakistan has a decent shot.

 

[JaDed]

Will be a very good comeback if it happens, terrible from Lanka though,it felt like they have never had a lead for long time and the batsmen just wasted the advantage in second innings.

 

[KyoOne]

He's played well in the series, was more positive than customary in the first innings.

Him and Harris are our hopes. I expect Sami Aslam to make some runs in the next innings as well

 

[ahmedwaqas92]

It would be nothing short of a miracle if we somehow chase 300 with this hopeless bunch. Basically we have only two batsmen in Azhar and Harris so one of them have to score a YKesque 150+ to help us cross the line while the other needs to score at minimum a 70-80 type of innings.

I am not registering scores of anything above 10 runs collectively from both the Golden Boys (Bobby and Asad) and Dad's dream.....The rest even if they chip in with a 20 odd and a quick fire 30 from Sarf will essentially do th job.

 

[Napa]

It would be nothing short of a miracle if we somehow chase 300 with this hopeless bunch.

Not quite hopeless, according to London bookies (people who put their money where their mouths are) the probability of Pakistan winning this Test is about 32%.

About the same odds they had of winning the CT final against India and we all remember how that ended

 

[The_Odd_One]

You need a special player like Younis to win in such situations. Sadly, Pakistan has none at the moment.

 

[giri26]

It is important for the experienced Pakistan batters to step up. If they have to chase anything in the region of 300, Azhar, Sarfaraz and Asad need to contribute. Cannot expect young players to take the lead.

 

[Sadevdesai]

Chasing 300 runs is possible ...... for which Team ???

 

[another drop catch]

That Pallekele side was without Herath... impossible with Herath, he needs to somehow slip and injur himself tomorrow for any chance

oh bhai dont pray for anyones injury rather pray that pakistan batsmen tackle him smartly

 

[Square Drive]

Agreed.

Light work.

 

[msb314]

It would be nothing short of a miracle if we somehow chase 300 with this hopeless bunch. Basically we have only two batsmen in Azhar and Harris so one of them have to score a YKesque 150+ to help us cross the line while the other needs to score at minimum a 70-80 type of innings.

I am not registering scores of anything above 10 runs collectively from both the Golden Boys (Bobby and Asad) and Dad's dream.....The rest even if they chip in with a 20 odd and a quick fire 30 from Sarf will essentially do th job.

The good thing is we have time on our side - I wouldn't mind if one of Sami or Masood get stuck in and anchor the innings whilst their partners tries to score the runs.

No need to rush or panic - our fate is in our control now and we just have to play sensibly to chase a 300ish total down.

 

[ahmedwaqas92]

Agreed.

Light work.

Sir aap plesae Jinx karna Band karein Gay !! Please SD!!!

 

[Chief Destroyer]

300?! We can chase 500. It's impossible to not chase 300.

 

[Chief Destroyer]

Agreed.

Light work.

This guy knows.

 

[NauV]

I love the belief!

However, Dickwella was the difference between the two sides in the first game, and also played really well in the first innings . .
Both Dickwella and Dilruwan Parrera score quickly . . And Pakistan, because of their woeful performance with the bat, don't really have any runs to play with . .

If they are able to put in another 75 to a 100 which dickwella, Kusal Mendis and Dilruwan are more than capable of, it's game over . .

I like the optimism, but half their side is remaining!

 

[Madplayer]

This guy knows.

Well what do we expect the players to say? There is no point in going out to bat if you dont believe you can win it.

As fans we should know it is improbable but still not lose hope. Thats what being a fan is about.

 

[Mamoon]

If you continue to bat like a snail, it won't be possible.

Azhar is probably the most prolific match loser batsman I have ever seen. And no, "he does his job but the others fail" does not work for me. Azhar himself is responsible for a lot of our defeats in the last year in spite of scoring mountain of runs. My frustrations with him are reaching boiling point now.

 

[shariqnoor]

300 is possible but 350 isn't. I would be pleasantly surprised if we knock them out with a total lead of 300. They still have Mendis, Dickwella, Dilruwan to bat. I can see them adding another 100 at least if not more. The break last night came at a wrong time for us. They were clearly rattled last night and had we gotten another 10 or so overs, we might've knocked them out for 60. Getting Dickwella early in the morning is the key for me.

 

[shariqnoor]

If you continue to bat like a snail, it won't be possible.

Azhar is probably the most prolific match loser batsman I have ever seen. And no, "he does his job but the others fail" does not work for me. Azhar himself is responsible for a lot of our defeats in the last year in spite of scoring mountain of runs. My frustrations with him are reaching boiling point now.

I kinda agree with you but I wouldn't go as far as calling him a "match loser batsman". The problem with Azhar all his career has been his lack of dominance. He will bat the same way when he is on 5 runs as we would when he's 85 or 125. Either he lacks the ability to accelerate/dominate or he has tuned himself to bat in one gear only. I would say it's both. This actually hurts Pakistan. He is no longer a Test newbie and by now he should've learnt the concept of game awareness. When you're on top, it's important to take the attack to the bowlers and demoralize them. Azhar simply does not possess this trait. He had an ideal companion at the other end in Younis to learn this but apparently he still likes to play in the mid-thirties strike rate.

 

[Mamoon]

I kinda agree with you but I wouldn't go as far as calling him a "match loser batsman". The problem with Azhar all his career has been his lack of dominance. He will bat the same way when he is on 5 runs as we would when he's 85 or 125. Either he lacks the ability to accelerate/dominate or he has tuned himself to bat in one gear only. I would say it's both. This actually hurts Pakistan. He is no longer a Test newbie and by now he should've learnt the concept of game awareness. When you're on top, it's important to take the attack to the bowlers and demoralize them. Azhar simply does not possess this trait. He had an ideal companion at the other end in Younis to learn this but apparently he still likes to play in the mid-thirties strike rate.

Younis was that although the latter was shaky at the beginning of his innings and didn't possess many shots against pacers, but once he was set, he would milk the spinners and bat at a 50+ strike rate.

Azhar simply doesn't possess that shot-making ability against spin. He has tremendous temperament and a tight defense, but that's it. He is a poor sweeper, he doesn't have lofted shots, and neither is he proficient square off the wicket. He has a decent cover-drive but he mistimes it more often than not.

When your best and most prolific batsman bats at a SR of less than 50 over 200+ deliveries time and time again, it becomes very difficult to win matches. He stagnates the whole batting lineup.

Obviously, the problem is compounded because of the other stroke-less wonders in the team, who bat at a similar rate but don't score half the runs he does. If we had stroke-makers instead of Sami, Shafiq and Masood, Azhar's ultra-defensive batting would not have been a major roadblock.

India is a great example. Pujara (although better than Azhar when it comes to building his innings) is often very slow, but they have Kohli, Rahul and Rahane to make up for it.

Haris is the only batsman in this team at the moment who can occupy the crease and bat at a consistently good rate. Sarfraz is capable too but he seems to have lost his head while batting these days. He is turning into an Afridi/Umar Akmal.

 

[bluetiger]

I'm positive Azhar will score a century in the next inning so far he had done so much better than other superheroes in the pakistani team. Most favourite bowlers and batsman of the pakistani fans are miserable in this series.

Only two positives Azhar and Haris.

 

[shariqnoor]

Younis was that although the latter was shaky at the beginning of his innings and didn't possess many shots against pacers, but once he was set, he would milk the spinners and bat at a 50+ strike rate.

Azhar simply doesn't possess that shot-making ability against spin. He has tremendous temperament and a tight defense, but that's it. He is a poor sweeper, he doesn't have lofted shots, and neither is he proficient square off the wicket. He has a decent cover-drive but he mistimes it more often than not.

When your best and most prolific batsman bats at a SR of less than 50 over 200+ deliveries time and time again, it becomes very difficult to win matches. He stagnates the whole batting lineup.

Obviously, the problem is compounded because of the other stroke-less wonders in the team, who bat at a similar rate but don't score half the runs he does. If we had stroke-makers instead of Sami, Shafiq and Masood, Azhar's ultra-defensive batting would not have been a major roadblock.

India is a great example. Pujara (although better than Azhar when it comes to building his innings) is often very slow, but they have Kohli, Rahul and Rahane to make up for it.

Haris is the only batsman in this team at the moment who can occupy the crease and bat at a consistently good rate. Sarfraz is capable too but he seems to have lost his head while batting these days. He is turning into an Afridi/Umar Akmal.

Pujara has really turned his game around in terms of SR of late without compromising on his technique and defense. His overall SR is now 48 which is actually great. I remember reports of Kohli asking Pujara to pace up his innings when set because like Azhar he used to bat in one gear only. Against Australia earlier this year I remember he batted the whole series in the mid-thirties SR. But against SL, his centuries came at close to 60 SR.

But I guess Azhar doesn't have the confidence to up his pace. He never had that ability previously and now I fear he will be more defensive given the batting lineup is even more fragile with the departures of Younis and Misbah. We'll just have to resign ourselves to seeing Azhar bat like this. So it becomes imperative that we find other batsmen who can bat at a 55 SR without getting out. That's another problem these Pakistani batters have. They can't score big at a high SR. It's usually one or the other. You can get big scores at a snail's pace ala Azhar or you can get 20s and 30 at a high SR ala Sarfraz. Babar has the potential but he looks horribly out of place in Test cricket.

 

[Slog]

Azhar doesnt dominate spin when set


I htink Younis was better than him in facing both spin and fast bowling

 

[Madplayer]

Azhar doesnt dominate spin when set


I htink Younis was better than him in facing both spin and fast bowling

Younis scored at 55+ strike rate when set. Azhar hardly gets his strike rate up to 45.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

If we bat the way South Africa did against Australia in 2nd Test in 2011, where Aus were skittled to 46. We might have a chance. We need to bat like it's the final day today and go for all out attack. Promote Sarfraz at 3 maybe to get some early impetus

 

[ahmedwaqas92]

Younis scored at 55+ strike rate when set. Azhar hardly gets his strike rate up to 45.

Once set Younis would absolutely Maul the bowling be it pace or spin and the guy had more stomach to go for daddy hundreds than our current lot have for churing out a 20+ score.

 

[Mainul]

This is chasable no doubt,but Pakistan don't have the power.Masood,Asad are their top order. LOL

 

[AsadRaza1]

Sarfarz needs to tell Babar to play it like an odi then he may get few runs.He cant play with a SR OF 50-60 but he can play well with the SR OF 80-90

 

[Arham_PakFan]

Target of 317