MELBOURNE: Pakistan’s captain Shan Masood opened up about the positive aspects of his side’s performance during the 79-run loss against Australia in the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Friday.

Australia attained an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series after defeating Pakistan in the second Test.

Shan Masood during the post-match press conference asserted that Pakistan played the way they want Test cricket to be played going forward, however, giving chances to Australia cost the match.

“We have to look at the bigger picture. The smiles are there because of a lot of positives. There were plenty of positives but if you give a quality side like Australia a sniff which we gave, we didn’t stand a chance,” said Shan Masood.

“Maybe with the ball, maybe with the bat, maybe in the field. Dropping the in-form Marsh was a big moment but in the bigger picture this is the way we want to play Test cricket,” he further added.

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Shan Masood also appreciated the ‘exceptional’ bowling by Australian skipper Pat Cummins, who led from the front with a ten-wicket haul.

“The outcome is a reflection of four days of play. Winning the toss and bowling in favourable conditions worked in our favour initially. However, Pat Cummins displayed exceptional bowling, showcasing why he is the number one bowler,” Masood said.

“In the 2nd innings, Smith and Marsh built a crucial partnership. Nevertheless, this match serves as a blueprint for how we aim to approach Test cricket, and we will learn from the mistakes made,” he concluded.

Notably, Shan Masood played a 54-run knock in the first innings, followed by a well-fought 60 off 71 in the second innings to achieve the rare feat of scoring 50 or more as captain in both innings of a Test match in Australia.

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