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Published 10:54 IST, August 25th 2020

When Brian Lara chose watching Azhar Ali's England ton over home team TKR's CPL 2020 match

After Azhar Ali's unbeaten hundred in England vs Pakistan 2020 series, Brian Lara revealed he chose to watch the batting effort instead of TKR's CPL 2020 match.

Reported by: Wasiq Agha
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Viewers of the third Test of the England vs Pakistan 2020 series are being treated to some outstanding performances, despite rain playing spoilsport during the match. The match has gone onto its fifth day, with England looking to bowl Pakistan out for a second time to win the match. However, some gritty batting by Pakistan’s batsmen, led from the front by captain Azhar Ali has managed to keep England at bay till now. While Azhar Ali’s fighting knock was praised from all quarters, it was also mentioned by a certain West Indian legend.

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Azhar Ali’s impressive England vs Pakistan 2020 knock

After having a quiet series, Pakistan captain Azhar Ali finally came into his own during the 3rd Test of the England vs Pakistan 2020 series. After England scored 583-8 declared in the first innings, Pakistani batsmen were set the task of getting close to the mammoth total. While most batsmen struggled to keep up with the English bowlers, it was Azhar Ali who showed great grit and determination to keep Pakistan with a fighting chance of saving the Test match.

Coming into bat within the first three overs, Azhar Ali was the rock of Pakistan’s innings as he spent more than six hours batting at the crease. The captain scored 141 runs off 272 balls, which also included 21 boundaries. Azhar Ali also showed great skill and leadership qualities as he stitched together some crucial partnerships with the lower order, remaining unbeaten in the innings. 

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Brian Lara praises Azhar Ali for great innings

After Azhar Ali’s impressive show, fans and pundits from all over praised the Pakistan captain for it. However, one of the greatest compliments for the batsman came from West Indies legend Brian Lara. Taking to Instagram, Brian Lara shared a post about the England vs Pakistan 2020 series featuring a picture of Azhar Ali. In it, Brian Lara said that Azhar Ali played a true captain’s knock and that it was one of the best hundreds he had ever seen. He also praised Azhar Ali for his great partnerships with Mohammad Rizwan and Fawad Alam. 

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In addition to praising Azhar Ali for his batting, Brian Lara also shared an interesting anecdote. The legendary cricketer wrote that his Sunday morning plans involved watching the England vs Pakistan 2020 series, CPL 2020, some golf and the UEFA Champions League final. He admitted that while he had earlier thought Azhar Ali’s batting effort trying to save the Test would be dull, he was proven wrong as it proved to be one of the best captain’s knocks in modern-day cricket. Brian Lara also admitted that although his home team Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) was playing a CPL 2020 match, his remote remained untouched as he watched Azhar Ali’s great knock.

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Also Read: Eng VS Pak: Azhar Ali Scores A Fighting Century In The Series-decider At Southampton

Image Courtesy: brian lara twitter, pakistan cricket twitter

10:54 IST, August 25th 2020