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Pakistan and England locked horns in the first of the three-match Test series at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi. England skipper Ben Stokes won the flip of the coin and decided to bat first at the almost dead and flat surface of Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Notably, the match was heading towards a dull and uninteresting draw, but thanks to the super aggressive approach of English skipper Ben Stokes that saved Pakistan and Rawalpindi track from an embarrassment.
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Although the hosts' skipper Babar Azam is on the receiving end of criticism from the Pakistan fans only following his statement in the aftermath of the defeat against England. The 28-year-old went on to use the surface as an excuse for the defeat.
We have a lot of input in the pitch, but we didn't get the pitch we wanted - Babar Azam
"We have a lot of input in the pitch, but we didn't get the pitch we wanted. We couldn't execute our plans and wanted a turning pitch, but perhaps because of the weather and preparation, that sort of wicket couldn't be created,” said Babar Azam during the post-match presentation.
“We are feeling very disappointed as a team. We had an opportunity to win the match. We were in the match the way we started. The way the batters built partnerships after lunch, we were quite confident. But then back-to-back wickets fell and when the new batters came in they struggled. That put pressure on us, but we need to give credit to England the way they fought and put in a real effort,” he added later.
This statement from Babar didn’t go well with his own compatriots and cricket fans. They took to Twitter and lashed out at him for using a silly excuse. Fans also mocked the Pakistan skipper as he played with only one spinner and later questioned the availability of a turning track.
Here’s how fans reacted:
Playing 11 me aik proper spiner khila k aisi chawlain Baber he mar sakta he😂 https://t.co/oBR62XrEQl
— Ateeq (@Ateee038) December 5, 2022
Yeah what a captain blame it all on your pitch curator ☠️💀 https://t.co/A0RIDiktNB
— A R N A V🏏 (@Cricket_Arnav) December 5, 2022
Guy went in with one spinner in his xi and giving this statement
— Himanshu (@khetan200104) December 5, 2022
What a fool 🤣🤣🤣@on_drive23 @_ravitweets https://t.co/5nGopVecyn pic.twitter.com/nbJTnSHV45
Couldn't win at home and blaming pitch https://t.co/GyLUdl8EyX
— Kakashi (@ramanaXtweets) December 5, 2022
kaisa captain hai jiski pitch curator bhi nahi sunta
— retired ICT fan (@anubhav__tweets) December 5, 2022
Currently, the visitors are leading the series with a margin of 1-0. Now both teams will lock horns in the second test of the series. Multan Cricket Stadium of Multan is set to host the penultimate match of the series.