We were 20-30 runs short,” says Haris Rauf
MELBOURNE: Haris Rauf, who claimed three wickets in the first ODI against Australia, expressed that the Pakistani batters fell short by about 20-30 runs, which could have changed the outcome of the match.
Speaking to reporters after his impressive bowling performance, where he took 3 wickets for 67 runs in nine overs, Rauf noted that the bowlers were left with a target that was challenging to defend. “We were short by 20-30 runs,” he said. “It was a low-scoring game, and we did our best to take wickets and turn the result in our favor.”
In a thrilling contest, Australia edged past Pakistan by two wickets, thanks to the Pakistani bowlers, who made the chase competitive. Reflecting on his near-miss for a hat-trick, the 30-year-old fast bowler commented, “I had the opportunity, but it didn’t work out this time. We fought hard and took wickets, believing we could defend our total.”
Rauf acknowledged some mistakes made by the team, promising that they would focus on improving in future matches. “We made some errors and gave away extra runs. Moving forward, we’ll work to eliminate those mistakes in the upcoming games. When your batting falls short by 20-30 runs, you have to compensate for that with your bowling,” he admitted.
During the innings, Rauf was instrumental in taking three wickets against the Australian side. He also praised his fellow pacer, Shaheen Afridi, for putting pressure on the batting lineup by taking early wickets, just as he did in this match.
The second ODI is set to take place on November 8 at the Adelaide Oval. To win the series, the team led by Mohammad Rizwan must secure victory in this match and the subsequent decisive fixture against Australia.
