PORT-OF-SPAIN
\nPakistan Captain Babar Azam said his side\u2019s ability to learn from the opening Test defeat and adapt to contrasting conditions was the biggest takeaway from their series-levelling victory over the West Indies, expressing hope that the long-awaited away win would inject confidence before the upcoming Test tour of England.
\nPakistan sealed an eight-wicket victory on Wednesday at Queen\u2019s Park Oval to square the two-match series 1-1, ending an eight-match losing streak away from home and registering their first overseas Test win in three years. Rather than crediting favourable conditions, Babar said the turnaround stemmed from the team\u2019s response after the defeat in Tarouba.
\n\u201cWhenever you win, it gives you confidence,\u201d Babar told reporters after the match. \u201cWe had worked very hard over the last couple of months in preparation for these Test matches. \u201cAfter losing the first Test, we sat together, discussed our mistakes and looked at what we needed to improve.\u201d
\nPakistan had been outplayed on a pace-friendly surface in the opening Test but opted for a spin-oriented attack in Port-of-Spain, where left-arm spinner Ali Usman and off-spinner Sajid Khan shared 14 wickets to dismantle the hosts. Babar said the decision was based on reading the conditions rather than sticking rigidly to pre-series plans.
\n\u201cWe were preparing for different conditions but, as professionals, you have to be ready for everything,\u201d he said. \u201cOnce we saw the pitch, we changed our combination and also focused more on facing spin in our practice sessions.\u201d The captain admitted the Queen\u2019s Park Oval surface behaved differently from both the pre-series practice match wicket and the opening day of the Test.
\n\u201cInitially the ball was carrying well, but as the match progressed the spinners came into it,\u201d said Babar. \u201cThe way our bowlers, batters and fielders performed was very pleasing.\u201d The victory also justified Pakistan\u2019s decision to leave out experienced seamer Mohammad Abbas in favour of a different bowling balance, a move that had drawn criticism before the match.
\nBabar defended the call, saying team combinations were dictated by conditions rather than reputations. \u201cAbbas is one of our best red-ball bowlers, but sometimes you have to make decisions according to the pitch and what the team needs,\u201d he observed. The series also marked a successful introduction to Test cricket for left-arm spinner Usman, whose six wickets in the second Test capped an encouraging debut series.
\nSpeaking in a Pakistan Cricket Board video alongside Sajid, the youngster admitted nerves accompanied his Test debut but said strong domestic performances had given him belief. \u201cThere was naturally some pressure in the first Test because you are representing your country,\u201d Usman said. \u201cBut by the second match I was much more comfortable.
\n\u201cSajid and I kept discussing our plans and bowled in partnerships, which made things easier.\u201d Usman rated the dismissal of West Indies captain Roston Chase as his favourite wicket of the series, describing it as a crucial breakthrough against a batter he believed played spin particularly well.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
PORT-OF-SPAIN Pakistan Captain Babar Azam said his side\u2019s ability to learn from the opening Test defeat and adapt to contrasting conditions was the biggest takeaway from their series-levelling victory over the West Indies, expressing hope that the long-awaited away win would inject confidence before the upcoming Test tour of England. Pakistan sealed an eight-wicket victory […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":560802,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-560799","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"\n