KARACHI, Pakistan:Babar Azam’s epic 196 and Mohammad Rizwan’s gallant hundred helped Pakistan snatch draw from the jaws of defeat within the second check in opposition to Australia on Wednesday.
Australia, on their first tour of Pakistan in 28 years, went into the ultimate day needing eight wickets to go 1-0 up within the three-test collection.
Pakistan, then again, required 314 runs in 90 overs to drag off check cricket’s best chase.
Alternatively, they needed to bat out three classes to drive a draw which is what they did in the long run.
Babar and Abdullah Shafique (96) solid a marathon 228-run partnership for the third wicket after which Rizwan smashed an unbeaten 104 as Pakistan completed on 443-7, the sixth highest fourth innings whole of all time.
Nathan Lyon (4-112) turned the sport on its head within the last session dismissing Babar and Faheem Ashraf in successive deliveries however Rizwan’s second check hundred left Australia stranded three wickets away from victory.
“The plan was to bat session-by-session and construct partnerships,” Babar, whose 10-hour masterclass fetched him the player-of-the-match award, said afterwards.
“It was a team effort, as others chipped in with useful contributions too.”
“We tried to be optimistic and play our photographs. The staff wanted this knock, so I attempted to bat for so long as I might.”
The record victory target of 506 was a bridge too far for Pakistan who were on the back foot after conceding a massive first innings lead of 408.
Their best bet was to try and bat out the final day and they did eke out a draw despite being outplayed for the first three days of the contest.
Pat Cummins’ decision not to enforce follow-on would be open to questions and Australia did not help their cause by their sloppy catching either.
Steve Smith dropped Abdullah when the opener was on 20 on Tuesday, and Usman Khawaja spilled Rizwan, then on 91, in the final session.
Babar also got back-to-back reprieves when Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne failed to latch onto sharp chances in debutant Mitchell Swepson’s over.
Cummins rued those missed chances but was not too unhappy with their performance.
“I’m just really proud of the efforts,” he stated .
“The means we batted was incredible, the best way we hunted we took these wickets on day three with reverse swing, that was good as properly.
“We had been all the time forward within the recreation, so actually pleased with the boys,” added Cummins.
With the first two tests ending in a draw, it will be winner-take-all in the third and final test in Lahore on Monday.
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