As Pakistan geared up for the high-voltage World Cup clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, they left no stone unturned during a rigorous training session on the eve of the match. After the pre-match press conference, Pakistan’s captain, Babar Azam, along with Mohammad Rizwan, received guidance from the team’s bowling coach, Morne Morkel, and Mickey Arthur, the team director, as they inspected the playing square before heading to the practice nets.
With the Ahmedabad pitch expected to favour spinners, the primary focus of the session was on facing the turning ball. The local spinners, stationed at the nets, provided the batters with a stern test, with Babar taking centre stage. In preparation for the likes of R Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja, most batters, especially Babar, dedicated a significant portion of their practice to playing the sweep in various forms.
Babar also faced some pace throwdowns, while Rizwan also took on that challenge, alongside the trial by spin. Iftikhar Ahmed stepped in to face a variety of spin deliveries – leg spin, left-arm off-spin, and more – potentially simulating what they might encounter against India’s formidable spin trio. After his practice, he switched roles to bowl his off-spin deliveries to Mohammad Nawaz, joining forces with Abrar Ahmed, who was busy bowling leg-spin to Nawaz.
After an intense 20-minute session, Rizwan made way for Agha Salman, who then faced Zaman Khan and Mohammad Wasim Jr, the reserve pacers, under the keen eye of Morkel. Nawaz seemed to find his groove against the spinners as he batted confidently. After half an hour of focused practice, Babar, who had been actively working on his sweep shots and lofted drives, decided to conclude his session. Mickey Arthur offered the team insights, presumably discussing shot selection and angles.
“My World Cup performance until now hasn’t been as expected, but hopefully, you will see a difference in the upcoming matches,” Babar had said during the pre-match press conference. “When it comes to playing against India, we only encounter them in the World Cup, and there’s a significant gap between our matches. It’s not just due to the bowlers; I believe that some of my dismissals are a result of my own mistakes. I strive to minimise those mistakes as much as possible.”