Pakistan opener Imam-ul-Haq expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance at the end of the first day of the opening Test against South Africa, saying that Pakistan were in a “good position” after reaching 313 for five at stumps at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, on Sunday.
Speaking at a post-day press conference, Imam acknowledged that Pakistan had a brief shaky period when three wickets fell in quick succession but credited the middle order for stabilizing the innings.
“When three wickets fell one after another, it seemed like South Africa were making a comeback.
But the partnership between Agha Salman and Mohammad Rizwan brought us back into a strong position,” he said.
Imam, who narrowly missed out on a century after scoring 93, admitted to feeling disappointed about not reaching the milestone.
“It always hurts when you get out in the nineties, but that’s part of the game,” he remarked.
He also praised his teammates for their resilience, saying, “Rizwan and Agha played brilliantly.
If one of them goes on to score a century tomorrow, it will put us in an even better position.”
He added, " I’m happy with the way I’ve worked on my batting. I focused on areas that were missing in my game, and I’m glad to see improvement”.