Pakistan will take the confidence to Bangalore: Misbah

Kolkata, Dec 3 (UNI) Misbah-ul-haq today said Pakistan would take the confidence from this match to Bangalore, while disagreeing that India lost it tactically.

On the boost that the Pakistan team took out of this match, fighting with their backs to the wall, he told the media at the end of the day's play, ''I think players do well when they are confident. We were playing with confidence when me and Kamran (Akmal) were out there in the middle even after five or six wickets were down. Our job is to go out there and fight, so there is not much pressure on us. We just go out there and try our best and that is what we did and we were successful and we will hope to continue doing it." ''I think psychologically [draw] will be a big boost for us.

We had lost the toss and batting second was not easy on the third and fourth day. India batted in good conditions and put up a big total so definitely the pressure was on us. It was not easy to score to bat second in those conditions. So if a team fights back in such tough conditions, the confidence level is boosted and that is what happened to us. So if we manage to draw the Test, it will be good for us,'' he added.

His opinion on the crowd! ''Crowd doesn't make a difference because you are concentrating inside the field. I think when we scored runs and put up a big partnership they supported us also, so I think the crowds were fantastic,'' Misbah said.

On the most important session of the match he said, ''The session after tea on day three was important because the Indian team put a lot of pressure on us. That was a critical session.

After that day the morning session was crucial because anything could have happened if they had got the follow-on. We could have batted again, so those 2-3 hours that we batted was crucial.'' Do you think India lost the match tactically, he said, ''I don't think so (that India lost the match tactically). They tried their best efforts with the ball. But the partnership between me and Kamran was also good. Every team fights back and that is how cricket goes on.

''It is a good thing to remember that it was my son's birthday and I scored my first century. So definitely it was special,'' he said, asked how special his maiden century was. Misbah remained undefeated on 161.

Asked about his mindset when he came out to bat, she said, ''When you come to bat in the middle order at number five or six you have to bat according to the match situation. An experienced bowler like Kumble was bowling on a third day's wicket which had broken a lot and it was difficult so you have to apply yourself.

So I was only thinking of this when I was in the middle that I get a good ball then its fine, but I won't make a mistake.'' On his observation on the pitch, he said, ''I think wicket was helping spinners a lot yesterday and today. Yesterday it was giving bounce and turn for Harbhajan Singh. The wicket definitely has turn but if a batsman applies himself and plays proper cricket he can score runs.'' Asked what kind of target did he expect from India, he said, ''In Test cricket you should not have a fixed mindset. As and when the situation comes you must deal with it. If the Indian team sets a target then we will go there and play normal wicket. If a situation develops where our openers give us a good start, maybe then we can decide whether to chase the target or just play out the day.'' UNI