Noman Ali credits teamwork and discipline after second day’s play

Lahore, 14 October 2025:

Left-arm spinner Noman Ali praised the collective bowling effort after the second day of the first Test between Pakistan and South Africa at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Noman, who finished the day with four wickets, said the bowlers supported each other well in partnerships, focusing on maintaining pressure from both ends.

“The team made good bowling efforts and communicated well, ensuring that if one bowler was attacking, the other supported from the opposite end,” Noman said. “Our goal was to bowl in partnerships and build pressure together.”

Commenting on the surface, Noman described the pitch as slow with low bounce, adding that it is likely to challenge batters further in the third and fourth innings. He mentioned that Pakistan’s strategy is to take a lead of over 100 runs in the second innings to gain an upper hand and set a competitive target for South Africa in the final innings.

Reflecting on the first innings total of 378, Noman said the pitch offered limited assistance to batters, but the team remained focused and disciplined in their bowling approach. He also appreciated the advice from the coaching staff, particularly head coach Viren, who urged the players to stay calm, play within their strengths, and focus on simple plans.

“Following the coach’s advice helped us stay composed and achieve our goals,” Noman added. “We aimed to take five wickets and put ourselves in a position to set a strong total of around 400 runs, which we managed successfully.”

At stumps, South Africa were 216 for six, still trailing by 162 runs in reply to Pakistan’s 378 all out.