Fast-bowling all-rounder Aamer Jamal expressed his fearless approach with the bat during Pakistan's third and final Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Jamal aggressively scored 82 runs off 97 balls, hitting nine fours and four sixes on Day 1 of the Test. The 27-year-old emphasised that he didn't want to get slowed down by the bouncers bowled by the Australian bowlers.
He surpassed the previous record for the highest score by a Pakistan no.9 batter against Australia set by Wasim Bari, who scored 72 runs off 113 deliveries in Adelaide in 1972.
"Whenever our batters from No.7 come in to bat, they start bowling bouncers. This time I indicated that no matter what they do, I will face the bouncers and go for my shots," Jamal was quoted as saying in the press conference after the day's play.
Jamal played a crucial role in Pakistan's first innings, contributing 82 runs for the 10th wicket partnership and helping the team reach a total of 313 runs. Batting at No.9, he reached his half-century in 71 balls, showing determination and not letting the Australian bowlers take control. Asif Iqbal currently holds the record for the highest score by a Pakistan batter at no.9 with a century (146 off 244) against England at The Oval in 1967.
Jamal made his debut in Perth, where he claimed a six-wicket haul in the first innings. In the first two Tests, he secured a total of 12 wickets, emerging as Pakistan's most successful bowler in the series.
"I have struggled a lot to get this far, but I never gave up. It means the world to me," Jamal said.
Jamal, who comes from Mianwali, recalled the times when he wasn't playing for the Pakistan national team.
"Last time I came to Sydney, I was cheering up my team because I wasn't playing for Pakistan," he added.
After his impressive innings, where he made the Australian bowlers sweat, Jamal faces a challenge as Pakistan aim to dismiss Australia with minimal runs in the first innings.
(Powered by AI, Inputs by India Today)
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