With Pakistan struggling, skipper Babar Azam performed a resilient knock towards Australia on the fourth day of the second Test match in Karachi. He was unbeaten when the Stumps was referred to as upon together with his personal rating studying 102*. Set a frightening 506-run goal, Azam knocked his sixth Test century — and second towards Australia — to information Pakistan to 192-2 and lift hopes of an unbelievable victory, or perhaps a preventing draw.
At the shut Azam was unbeaten on 102 and Shafique 71 because the pair added 171 for the third wicket, leaving the house crew needing one other 314 runs within the 90 overs of the ultimate day for a win, or bat out three periods for the draw. Meanwhile on the ultimate day too he led his assault on the guests solely to lose his wicket for 196. This meant he missed out on a double hundred within the fourth innings. But within the course of, he went previous the likes of Don Bradman, Ricky Ponting and Virat Kohli. Yes, he now owns the very best particular person rating in fourth innings as a captain.
“The match hasn’t completed but,” Azam told the host broadcasters. “We need to continue batting like this and keep the belief (to create history).
“Definitely, my hundred was needed by the team and my plan was to build a partnership, which Shafique and I did, but we need to continue like this (on Wednesday).”
Pakistan misplaced Imam-ul-Haq (one) and Azhar Ali (six) earlier than Shafique and Azam led the fightback, leaving Australia wicketless within the final session — regardless of taking the second new ball after 80 overs.
Azam top-edged a sweep off spinner Mitchell Swepson in the direction of quick fine-leg for 2 to succeed in the three-figure mark, his first in 21 innings since his 143 towards Bangladesh in Rawalpindi in February 2020.
His hundred got here in 247 minutes with 12 boundaries.
Shafique was as strong as his skipper, having thus far hit 4 boundaries and a six as he and Azam batted defiantly for 265 minutes.
No crew has ever chased greater than the 418-7 the West Indies amassed towards Australia at Antigua in 2003, whereas Pakistan’s highest profitable chase was 377 towards Sri Lanka at Pallekele in 2015.
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