Sarfaraz Ahmed

• Naseem Shah had come in to bat after Hassan Ali was trapped LBW by Tim Southee.
• Shah was then left with Abrar Ahmed to survive.
• Pakistan closed the day on 304 for nine, 15 runs short of their target against New Zealand.

On the final day of the second Test against New Zealand in Karachi, Pakistan was nine wickets behind but fast bowler and tail-end batsman Naseem Shah claimed he still intended to chase the mark.

When the umpires concluded that there was not enough light to continue the game, Pakistan finished the day on 304 for nine, 15 runs short of their objective.

After Hassan Ali was caught LBW by Tim Southee in the 85th over, Shah walked into bat and joined senior teammate Sarfaraz Ahmed in the middle. However, the right-hand hitter was dismissed in less than two overs.

In an effort to prolong the possibility of a chase, the number 10 hitter also hit a six and a four off Michael Bracewell, but he ran out of time.

“I was aiming to chase the target. I was confident that I could do that but I didn’t get enough time. I am happy that we managed to draw the test as well,” he told :

“Pressure was naturally there, especially when Sarfaraz got out, but I’ve played in such situations before as well, where I had to survive or save the match for the team; I was confident,” he said.

According to Naseem, five-day cricket is distinct from ODIs and T20Is in that the results of your five days of labour are rewarded in the last hour of the match, as was the case against New Zealand.

“It was a very good game of Test cricket, we were positive and everyone was aiming to chase the target,” he said.

“When they had brought fielders close to me, I saw the scoreboard and thought 25 runs are getable. Then, I attempted to do that. I managed to hit a couple of shots then told their captain that I am going to chase if he continues to keep the same fielding,” Naseem recalled.

The young pacer remarked that when the fielders were closer, the scenario brought back memories of his youth, when he used to play a particular kind of cricket called “one-tip-out,” in which a hitter is deemed out even if he is caught after only one bounce.

“I felt like it is the same situation, so I had a similar thing in my mind plus Saqlain Mushtaq had once told me that if you are surrounded by fielders consider that circle is minimised and one good shot can get you some runs, so I had these things in my mind and I kept going,” he concluded.

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