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MULTAN, Jan 17 (APP):West Indies fast bowler Jayden Seales showcased a stellar performance on the opening day of the first Test against Pakistan, claiming three critical wickets and keeping the hosts on the back foot.
Holding a press conference after the day’s play at Multan Cricket Stadium, Seales highlighted his bowling strategy, the importance of the toss and his approach to thriving in spin-dominated conditions.
“I figured Babar Azam was watching my hand a bit, so I tried to deceive him, and it worked,” said Seales, reflecting on his approach to getting Babar’s wicket. He lauded the collective effort of the West Indies bowling unit and emphasized the need to sustain the pressure on Pakistan in the coming days.
To a question about the toss, Seales admitted it played a significant role in the day’s proceedings. “The toss was important because of the way the pitch looked,” he said, adding that while the fast bowlers dominated early on, he expects spinners to have a greater impact as the game progresses. “It may reverse swing at some point, but I still think the spinners will dominate moving forward.”
He said that bowling in Asian conditions, typically known for favoring spinners, presents a unique challenge for pacers. He said that as a fast bowler in these conditions, you always want to make a big impact and he wanted to be in the game and get key wickets. He attributed his success to maintaining pressure and capitalizing on the new ball, which swung early due to the cold conditions in Multan. Despite dismissing star players like Babar Azam and Shan Masood, Seales denied feeling any pressure. “In international cricket, you expect the players to be good, so you have to back yourself and match up skill for skill,” he said.
Discussing the pitch, he revealed insights from the training sessions. “The ball did a little bit when it was new, so it was about putting the ball in the right areas adding that cold conditions this afternoon worked in their favour,” he noted.