Longer I batted, easier it became: centurion Yasir Shah

Pakistan’s unlikely centurion Yasir Shah on Sunday revealed why he was able to score big against Australia in the first innings of the second Test.

Where his teammates fell like a pack of cards, Yasir, a legspinner by trade, saw his willow produce an unexpected flow of runs, scoring 113 off 213 runs.

In his post-play interview, Yasir said that the presence of Babar Azam at the other end as well as his own patience helped him produce the knock.

“When I took the field, my goal was to support the recognised batsman and bat for the entire day. And the way Babar Azam was playing in the morning, it made batting easier for me,” he said.

“I tried to stay at the crease, and the longer I batted, the easier it became. Of course, Australian bowlers are world class and scoring a century against them is not easy but I tried and succeeded.”

Yasir also said that even though batting on Australian pitches is as difficult as they say, it eventually gets easier once you have weathered the early storm.

“In Australia, as a batsman you have to survive the first 15-20 overs. After that, the pink ball does not swing that much. You need to spend some more time on the wicket,” he said.