KARACHI: Skipper Babar Azam survived dropped catches off successive balls from Australian spinner Mitchell Swepson Wednesday to keep Pakistan in with a chance of a fighting draw on the fifth and final day of the second Test in Karachi.
Set a daunting 506-run target, Pakistan were 310-4 at tea, with Azam on a career-best 168 and Mohammad Rizwan 14, defying the Australian attack for a stubborn 33-run fifth-wicket stand.
The home team need another 196 runs for an unlikely win, or bat out a maximum of 36 overs for a hard-fought draw, as the Test headed for a nervy finale.
No team has ever scored more than 418 in the fourth innings to win a Test, while Pakistan's highest successful chase was 377 against Sri Lanka at Pallekele in 2015.
Australia dismissed Abdullah Shafique (96) and Fawad Alam (nine) in the first two sessions and could have had Azam on 161, but first Travis Head and then Marnus Labuschagne dropped sharp catches off Swepson.
Azam also survived a confident leg-before appeal against spinner Nathan Lyon when on 157, but it turned out to be umpire Aleem Dar's call on review.
Azam has so far batted for 507 minutes and hit 18 boundaries, improving on the 143 he scored against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi two years ago.
Australia skipper Pat Cummins struck eight minutes before lunch to end an epic third-wicket stand of 228 between Shafique and Azam with the score on 249.
Shafique, who hit 136 not out in the drawn first Test in Rawalpindi, drove Cummins for a boundary to reach 96.
But in his next over the Australian fast bowler drew the right-hander into another drive which this time found the edge.
Steve Smith held a sharp catch in the slips, making amends for dropping the same batsman, on 20, from a more straightforward chance at slip off Cummins the day before.
Cummins, who has figures of 2-56, then forced an edge off Fawad Alam to raise hopes of a victory, before the Azam-Rizwan stand halted the tourists' progress.
Australia are on their first tour of Pakistan since 1998, having previously refused to tour the country over security fears.
The third and final Test starts in Lahore on Monday.
Skipper Babar Azam leads Pakistan fightback against Australia in Karachi Test
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Skipper Babar Azam leads Pakistan fightback against Australia in Karachi Test
- Setting 506-run target, Pakistan were 310-4 at tea, with Azam on a career-best 168
- Pakistan defied the Australian attack for a stubborn 33-run fifth-wicket stand
Lackluster Liverpool FC snatch late win at Forest
- The Reds stay in 6th place but are tied on points with Chelsea and Man Utd
LIVERPOOL: After having an 89th-minute goal disallowed following a VAR check, the Argentina midfielder scored again in the seventh minute of stoppage time — and this time it survived a video review — to earn Liverpool a 1-0 victory at Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Sunday.
The dramatic end at the City Ground centered completely on Mac Allister, who thought he’d scored without knowing anything about it after turning his back on a clearance by Nottingham Forest defender Ola Aina.
The ball rebounded off Mac Allister and into the net, but the VAR spotted it had struck his arm and the goal was scrubbed out.
However, he was on hand off virtually the last kick of the game when Virgil van Dijk’s header was spilled by Forest goalkeeper Stefan Ortega. Barely six meters out, Mac Allister could hardly miss as he sidefooted the ball into the net.
There was a VAR check to see if Van Dijk was offside but the goal was given.
Liverpool stayed in sixth place but was tied on points with fourth-place Chelsea and fifth-place Manchester United, whose game in hand is at Everton on Monday.
Meanwhile, Sunderland lost its home comforts on Sunday. It wasn’t long ago that Sunderland were the only Premier League team with an unbeaten home record. Now, the Black Cats have lost two straight at the Stadium of Light.
Sunderland was defeated 3-1 by Fulham, which had two goals from Mexico striker Raul Jimenez — one of which was from the penalty spot.
Ten days ago, Sunderland lost 1-0 to Liverpool for its first home defeat of the season.
Also on Sunday, Palace won as doubts swirl around Oliver Glasner’s future.
Glasner’s team dug out a 1-0 win over last-place Wolverhampton thanks to a last-minute goal.
Evann Guessand prodded home a far-post finish after coming on as a substitute.
Ahead of the game, Glasner, who led Palace to FA Cup glory last season, was non-committal about whether he would be staying at the club until the end of the season. He has already said he’ll be leaving in the summer.
Wolves stayed 17 points off safety.
