ISLAMABAD: Pakistan bowling coach Azhar Mahmood admitted that Pakistan could have bowled much better in the morning on the third day of ongoing Test against South Africa in Johannesburg.
"We could have bowled a lot better. There were patches we didn't bowl well in Centurion and Cape Town as well," he was quoted as saying by prominent cricket website www.espncricinfo.
"But as you see, our bowling line-up is very inexperienced, and this is a learning curve for them. Apart from Amir, no one came here before. These are different pitches, different atmosphere, so it's a learning curve for them.
"I think the pitch flattened out a bit. For the last three days, all sides opted for the heavy roller and the pitch flattened out. I think our plan was to get them out for less than 50 or 60 runs today, so we'd have to chase 270 or 280. But credit goes to de Kock and Amla. They played really well. They left the ball well, and when they got opportunities, they hit boundaries. On this ground, there are a lot of boundary options. You don't get lot of runs by singles, because boundaries can be had on both sides."
Among the South African batsmen, it was de Kock's innings that most impressed Azhar. "De Kock is a class act. He's one of the best players in the world. We know when he's at the crease he will get runs, because he likes ball on bat. He has the ability to hit good balls for four, and the innings he played was very good."
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