"Bangladesh's bowlers tested him properly" - Sanjay Bangar lauds Imam-ul-Haq's knock in Pakistan's Asia Cup 2023 win against Bangladesh

Sanjay Bangar has lauded Imam-ul-Haq for playing a fighting knock in Pakistan's Asia Cup 2023 Super Four win against Bangladesh.

Shakib Al Hasan and Co. set the Men in Green a 194-run target after opting to bat first in Lahore on Wednesday, September 6. Imam-ul-Haq then scored 78 runs off 84 deliveries to help the hosts register a seven-wicket win with 63 balls to spare.

During a discussion on Star Sports, Bangar was asked about his thoughts on Imam-ul-Haq's knock, to which he responded:

"He has been extremely consistent in the Pakistan team's batting because he has scored a series of centuries in the last year or two. It wasn't an easy knock for him because Bangladesh's bowlers tested him properly."

The former Indian all-rounder pointed out that the Pakistan opener made the most of the short deliveries dished out to him. He elaborated:

"Whether it was Taskin Ahmed or Shoriful Islam, the lines they were bowling against him, he didn't get any easy runs. He stuck to his strength, which is to attack the short balls, whether it is against the seamers or the spinners. He scored a lot of runs with that shot."

Bangar added that the left-handed batter was also slightly fortunate. He observed:

"He played to his strengths and waited for the right balls. Luck also favored him slightly because the DRS calls went in his favor but once he got his eye in, he attacked spin very well."

Bangladesh lost both their reviews on leg-before appeals against the opener as the ball was found to be pitching marginally outside the leg stump. He was later given out leg-before by the on-field umpire off Mehidy Hasan Miraz's bowling but the decision was overturned on review as the ball was slipping down the leg side.

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"That is his strength as well" - Piyush Chawla on Imam-ul-Haq's scoring areas

Imam-ul-Haq struck five fours and four sixes during his innings. [P/C: AP]

Piyush Chawla was asked whether the Bangladesh bowlers bowled the right lines to Imam-ul-Haq as he scored the majority of his runs behind square on the leg side and in the mid-wicket region, to which he replied:

"That is his strength as well. He plays well against short balls. Although the fast bowlers did bowl him short balls, the two or three shots he played against Mehidy Hasan Miraz, the balls were not that bad, but he had gotten his eye in by then and once you have done that and you know that there is true bounce on the pitch, you can play those shots with the bounce."

Imam-ul-Haq added 85 runs for the third wicket with Mohammad Rizwan (63* off 79). The latter ensured that Pakistan started the Super Four stage on a winning note after the former was bowled while attempting a big shot off Mehidy Hasan Miraz's bowling.