‘Committing to same game plan’ key for Australian team, feels coach Andrew McDonald

Lahore [Pakistan], March 21 (ANI): Australia men’s interim head coach Andrew McDonald admitted that despite the outcome of the second Test match the Australian players are in a good mental state and committed to the same game plan in Lahore.
McDonald said that the visitors will stick to the same plan against Pakistan in the last Test match.
“In terms of the mental state of the playing group, we’re fine. It really enforces the style of cricket we are playing here, where we can hold up and put ourselves into positions where we have the opportunities to win games. And that is the most exciting thing. Committing to that same game plan again is exactly what we are trying to do,” McDonald said in the press conference on Friday.
Australia head coach praised Pakistan skipper Babar Azam’s 196-run brilliant knock in the fourth and final innings of the second Test which was played in Karachi.
“An incredible knock and I am glad he brought that up. There have been a lot of other things discussed rather than the high skill and temperament with what he went about in that innings. There was spin on that wicket, he was able to navigate through that and it was quite amazing. You have to factor in that it was a drawn Test, in terms of saving the Test it is right up there in what I have seen,” he said.
“It was the best by a captain in the fourth innings. An incredible feat, denied us a victory but full credit to the way he played,” he added.
Azam’s extraordinary knock of 196 helped Pakistan manage to grind out an epic draw against Australia on the final day of the second Test in Karachi after batting through 171.4 overs to ensure the series remained deadlocked.
The action in the second Test went into the final over of the match, where Pakistan managed to draw the game with Mohammad Rizwan batting out till the end to see his team through. (ANI)