Pakistan threw a wrench into their long-term plans after losing an innings in the first Test, making four changes and filling their team with spin options after opting to reuse the same strip for the second week in a row. Salman admitted he was expecting a difficult week after so much turmoil, but said he was impressed by his teammates’ response.
“To be honest, I was thinking, ‘It’s going to be difficult,'” Salman told Pak Gazette. “There were a lot of changes, and big changes. But the way the team has solidified and the way the new guys came in and we welcomed them [has been great]. They come in and contribute.
“Look at Sajid [Khan]. He took seven wickets and scored important runs. And then you will see Noman Ali. He came, took wickets and scored important runs. I think it is very good for Pakistan cricket, the way they came, integrated and contributed. “That’s amazing.”
“We have to be realistic. It is effectively the ninth day of the wicket being played tomorrow and as we can see, it is doing a lot for the spinners. There are a lot of cracks there… [But] We all know that if you put in the work and establish a partnership, anything can happen. It would be an incredible chase. “It’s something we’ll obviously enjoy and try to achieve.”
Pakistan have not won a Test match at home since beating South Africa in February 2021, with four draws and seven defeats since then, and have lost all six of their Tests in the last 12 months. Salman said ending those streaks would be “very important” and Pakistan would give their all on the fourth day.
“It’s going to be huge, because we haven’t won a Test match at home for… I don’t know, God knows how many years,” he said. “It’s going to be something very, very important for us. We’ll make sure we put in all our effort and win this game, because that’s very important to us.”
