Pakistan vs Australia, 3rd Test: Shaheen Afridi reveals his plans after stumps on Day 1

Pakistan are currently taking on Australia at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore in the 3rd Test of the series. Australia have won the toss and opted to bat first. Usman Khawaja scored a fine 91 whereas Steven Smith also scored a stable half-century. For Pakistan, Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah picked up 2 wickets each.

However, Pakistan captain Babar Azam was hopeful to have a winner in the 3rd Test as the first-two Test matches in Rawalpindi and Karachi respectively ended in a draw.

“You have a different feeling when you play on your home ground and before your home crowd,” Babar Azam told reporters. “Definitely, it will be a proud moment for all of us if we win the home series because we believe we are improving day by day.”

While the Rawalpindi pitch was criticised, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) took the initiative and ICC Academy curator Toby Lumsden has assisted the local ground staff to make the Lahore wicket for the second Test as well.

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“I always try to take early wickets with the new ball” – Shaheen Afridi

Babar said, “It’s not much different, looks like the same pitch but I feel it will definitely give turn. It has small cracks from where spinners could get help, but you can’t tell 100pc because of hot conditions. Whatever it is, our spinners are ready for it and will fight.”

However, after Day 1, the pace-spearhead Shaheen Afridi said – “I always try to take early wickets with the new ball. The wicket is pretty good for batting, my plan was to bowl in the right areas. We (the pacers) didn’t get a lot of help in the last two Tests, so we thought about being consistent, bowl wicket-to-wicket. We (as a bowling group) wanted to execute our plans and think we did so.”

It will be interesting to see if it will decide a winner or again end in a draw.