Cheteshwar Pujara dissected Babar Azam’s inefficiency against the spinners during his 90-ball 64 against New Zealand in the Champions Trophy opener at the National Stadium in Karachi on Wednesday. Defending champions Pakistan lost the match by 60 runs. They will now face arch-rivals India on Sunday in Dubai.
“There was no intent,” Pujara said on the show “Dressing Room.”
“Babar’s footwork against the spinner was not good. He was not using his feet. He was not reaching to the ball. He was waiting for the ball to come to him,” he said.
Show host Fakhr-e-Alam requested Pujara to give a masterclass. The right-handed batter showed how Babar struggled against the spinners.
Pakistan’s Babar Azam in action. (Reuters)
“He was not committing. He was trying to flick the ball get a single, but there was a square leg fielder,” he said.
“He didn’t tried to play any sweep shot or a paddle sweep. Nowadays, reverse sweep is also an option to disturb the length of a spinner.
“It looks like there is a mental pressure on him.
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“In one-day cricket, you need to bat with freedom, he is a natural stroke player. He needs to bat with more freedom. He needs to rotate strike and hit those odd boundaries. In the present time the strike rate of 70 and 80 are not good enough.
“You don’t need to play for your own runs.
Pakistan’s Babar Azam plays a shot during the ICC Champions Trophy cricket match between Pakistan and New Zealand, in Karachi, Pakistan. (AP)
“In one-day cricket you can’t be looking to save your own wicket instead you go to win the match.
“He was trying not to get out. But the dot balls added pressure on the batters, who came next.”
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It was New Zealand’s third win over Pakistan in less than two weeks, the Kiwis having beaten the Rizwan-led side twice in the preceding tri-series.
The sole positive for defending champions Pakistan ahead of their clash against India was the performance of the lower-order with Khushdil Shah smashing 69 off 49 balls. Salman Agha also showed plenty of intent in his 42 off 28 balls but that urgency was missing in the approach of the top-order.