“We were 20-30 runs short,” says Haris Rauf

MELBOURNE: Haris Rauf, who took most wickets (three) in first ODI against Australia, said the batters scored 20-30 runs short, otherwise, the result would have been different.

Speaking to media after registering figures of 67-3 in nine overs, Haris opined that bowlers didn’t have enough target to defend, still they managed to go closer.

“We were 20-30 runs short,” asserted Rauf. “It was a low-scoring match, and we tried our best to take wickets and get the result in our favor," he added.

It is worth noting here that Australia defeated Pakistan by two wickets in a nail-biter. Pakistani bowlers bowled really well to make the defense interesting.

Reflecting on his missed opportunity to take another hat-trick, the right-arm fast bowler stated: "I had the chance, but unfortunately, it didn't happen this time. We fought hard and took wickets. We felt we could defend the target."

Giving a nod to the mistakes made by the green shirts, the 30-year-old bowler assured that the team will be working hard for the future matches to avoid such mistakes.

“There were errors on our part, and we gave away extra runs. Moving forward, we'll work to avoid such mistakes in the upcoming games. When you’re short of 20-30 runs in batting, you have to make up for it in bowling," Rauf acknowledged.

During the innings, the bowler bagged three wickets against the baggy greens earlier today.

Praising on the performance of his fellow pacer, he believed that Shaheen Afridi builds pressure by taking early wickets, like the way he did against Australia.

The second ODI against Australia is scheduled to take place on November 8 at the Adelaide Oval.

In order to win the series, the Mohammad Rizwan-led side is supposed to win this fixture and the final decisive match against the hosts.