However, when asked if he would have changed anything when England were 80/4 in the first innings, Babar’s reply was surprising.
Speaking at the post-match presentation ceremony, Babar admitted that Pakistan “weren’t up to the mark” against the hosts. Pakistan captain Babar Azam struggled to explain his team’s horrific showing against England at Lord’s, which saw the side suffer their second consecutive defeat of the series. Babar, who recently returned as Pakistan’s Test captain, found it difficult to explain the team’s inability to challenge England, especially from a batting perspective.
Pakistan’s Struggles at Lord’s
In their recent match at Lord’s, Pakistan struggled to reach the 200-run mark in both innings. Despite a commendable performance from Saud Shakeel, who scored 97 in the second innings, the team fell short. Captain Babar Azam had a disappointing outing, managing only 8 runs in the first innings and 6 in the second.
We utilised them well and took early wickets, restricting them to 290. “I think we won the toss and bowled first to try and utilise the overcast conditions.
The way Saud played showed immense class and dedication; it was tremendous,” Babar said, reflecting on his team’s performance. When asked where Pakistan need to improve ahead of the final Test at Edgbaston, Babar said: “To be honest, we are trying to do better in both departments, batting and bowling. Then, with the bat, we were not up to the mark. In the second innings, Pakistan bowled outstandingly again. Abbas took five wickets, but then our batting collapsed once more. We had opportunities, but we failed to seize them properly. We showed glimpses of quality in both disciplines, so we will try to put up a stronger performance in the final match.”
