Skipper Rahul Dravid said on Wednesday that the match-saving partnership between Irfan Pathan and Mahendra Singh Dhoni had vindicated the team management's decision to play five bowlers in the second Test against Pakistan in Faisalabad.
"Their (Pathan and Dhoni) counter-attacking partnership has given us a lot of heart and confidence. We played only five batsmen and were treating Pathan and Dhoni as all-rounders and they proved their worth in this match," Dravid said after the Test ended in a draw.
"The way we responded to tough situations in the two matches has shown the character of the side," Dravid said.
The two rival captains called for a sporting pitch for the series decider in Karachi, saying that flat tracks like the ones provided for the first two matches made it very tough for the bowlers.
"The bowlers had to fight very hard on such a flat wicket and it was very difficult for them," Dravid said.
Inzamam-ul-Haq also said the conditions were not easy for the bowlers and they had to toil hard for success.
They hoped that a better pitch could enable the bowlers to come into their own.
Dravid said it was nice to get a few wickets in the last session of the match which could help the confidence of the bowlers.
"It was good for Zaheer and RP to get some wickets and hopefully, we have learnt something about their batsmen going into the third Test," he said.
Inzamam said his back was feeling better and he had his fingers crossed on his fitness. "The back is improving day by day and am hopeful to play in Karachi," he said.
He added that the team management had toyed with the idea of a declaration after lunch but decided it was not feasible.
"It is not easy to bowl out a side in three hours in such conditions. It would have been a waste of energy for the fast bowlers. Hopefully, we will have a sporting wicket in Karachi," the Pakistan captain said.
Man of the match, RP Singh, who got the award in his debut match, said it was difficult to bowl on such a flat track.
"I just concentrated on line and length. The confidence I got from this match would benefit me in the future," the Uttar Pradesh left-arm seamer said.
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