Babar, Rizwan tons secure epic draw for Pakistan in Karachi

Karachi : Babar Azam played an extraordinary knock of 196 as Pakistan managed to grind out an epic draw against Australia on the final day of the second Test in Karachi after batting through 171.4 overs to ensure the series remained deadlocked.

The action in the second Test went into the final over of the match, where Pakistan managed to draw the game with Mohammad Rizwan batting out till the end to see his team through. Both teams walked away with four points each in the WTC standings and continue to occupy the top two spots.

Pakistan resumed the day’s play on 192/2, needing to chase 506 runs or survive 90 overs on the final day, and were on track with Babar Azam and Abdullah Shafique doing the job for them. Near lunch, Aussie skipper Pat Cummins got the better of the set batter Shafique on 96, breaking an epic 228-run second-wicket partnership.

With still 252 runs to win the match, Pakistan continued to put up resistance after the interval. Alam, who had finally managed to score his first runs of the series, fell to a brilliant delivery from Cummins, as he nicked the ball straight into the wicketkeeper’s gloves.

Babar and Rizwan batted patiently and Pakistan, after losing only one wicket in the second session, went to tea at 310/4. All results were possible going into the final session – Pakistan needed 196 runs to win or survive 36 overs for a draw, while Australia needed six wickets for the win.

In the final session, Babar who looked set for a double hundred was removed by Nathan Lyon. And the off-spinner was on a hat-trick when Faheem Ashraf edged the ball to Smith at slips.

Australia took the new ball, but kept Lyon operating at one end. And after Sajid Khan smashed him for two boundaries, Lyon had the last laugh with his wicket off the last ball.

At this point, Australia required three wickets and Pakistan needed to survive eight overs, as a victory for the home side was out of the equation at 414/7.

But, thankfully for Pakistan, Mohammad Rizwan and Nauman Ali batted through to stumps, the former getting to his Test century in the penultimate over of the game.

Brief Scores: Australia 556/9 D (Khawaja 160, Carey 93; Ashraf 2-55) and 97/2 D (Khawaja 44*, Labuschagne 44; Afridi 1-21) drew with Pakistan 148 (Babar 36; Starc 3-29) and 443/7 (Babar 196, Rizwan 104*; Lyon 4-112)