Follow UsPakistan captain Babar Azam blamed the Test series defeat against Australia on the batting collapses of his team and backed the team composition following the 115-run defeat in the third Test at Lahore.
Pakistan lost eight wickets in the space of 20 runs in the first innings which helped Australia set a target of 351. After finishing day four at 73/0, the hosts lost wickets in a heap on the final day to submit the series.
Azam felt that the batters were unlucky to gotten dismissed in a tame way.
"We didn't go defensive, we played positive cricket. You plan according to the situation. It's not like you go out, play big shots and go for the runs. We had a good session early in the day but unfortunately we had soft dismissals and that's the reason we lost the game," he said on Friday.
"We weren't able to decide whether to go for a win or a draw. But with all those wickets falling, we decided to go deep as much as we could but we were positive throughout. There were continuous discussions in our dressing room about chasing it down," he added.
Azam (55) and Sajid Khan managed to add 46 runs for the sixth wicket, which was the only major partnership in the fourth innings besides the openers Imam-ul-Haq and Abdullah Shafique's 77-run stand. The Pakistan skipper felt that his team were unable to execute their plans.
"But when your main batters are dismissed, you obviously start thinking differently. Still, Sajid and I were trying to build a partnership and extend as much as we could, hoping we could draw. Yet we never held back, kept on playing shots and utilised whatever came in our area. So the mindset was positive but it didn't go in our way," he said.
Azam also backed the selection of Hassan Ali and Nauman Ali ahead of fast bowling allrounder Faheem Ashraf, who was replaced by Naseem Shah for the series decider. Hassan Ali, who missed the first Test due to an injury, managed only two wickets from two Tests in the series.
"The main thing is the combination and you pick players accordingly. We have our off-spinner [Sajid] who is a good batter and Nauman Ali is coming along with a good bowling show. I don't think even their leg-spinner (Mitchell Swepson) got enough help. Most of the wickets were taken by off-spinners. Hasan Ali is a matchwinner, he gave his best effort but sometimes things don't go your way. It's part of the game. There are ups and downs but I have my belief in him and it's still there as ever before," Azam said.