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
Mbappé equals ‘idol’ Ronaldo with his record 59th goal in a year for Real Madrid
- “It’s incredible, in my first (full) year to do what Cristiano did. (He’s) my idol, the best player in the history of Real Madrid,” Mbappé said
BARCELONA, Spain: Kylian Mbappé scored his 59th goal for Real Madrid in 2025 on Saturday to equal the club record for the most in a year held by Cristiano Ronaldo.
The milestone was about to escape the France striker until he converted a penalty kick with four minutes left to complete a 2-0 win over 10-man Sevilla in Madrid’s final game of the year.
Mbappé matched Ronaldo’s tally from 2013 on his 27th birthday. After embracing his teammates, he marked the feat with a subdued version of Ronaldo’s trademark goal celebration — whereby the Portugal forward leaps up and thrusts his arms downwards upon landing — before blowing a kiss at the television cameras.
The former Paris Saint-Germain star, who joined Madrid in the summer of 2024, has scored 29 times for Madrid this season, including a league-leading 18.
“It’s incredible, in my first (full) year to do what Cristiano did. (He’s) my idol, the best player in the history of Real Madrid,” Mbappé said.
“My celebration is for him. I wanted to do that because he helped me adapt here and now I can help Madrid win games with my goals. I wanted to share it with him. I have a really good relationship with him, he is my friend, and I wish him and all Madrid fans a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.”
Jude Bellingham scored with a header in the 38th minute and Sevilla lost defender Marcao to a second booking for rash tackles with 20 minutes left.
Sevilla coach Matías Almeyda also was expelled by the referee during the halftime break apparently for protesting.
Alonso has been under pressure for several weeks due to a run of bad results and the overall lackluster play of his star-studded side. Spanish sports media is rife with speculation the first-year coach could be replaced.
Now Madrid club president Florentino Pérez will have two weeks to ponder the team’s future before its next game against Real Betis on Jan. 4.
Alonso could have ill afforded another slip at the Santiago Bernabeu after his side lost its previous two games. But Madrid’s fans still had reason to grumble after Sevilla repeatedly created scoring chances — even after being reduced to 10 men.
Alexis Sánchez, still spry at age 37, and right back Juanlu Sánchez stood out the most for a Sevilla side that poked holes in Madrid’s defense.
Madrid needed Thibaut Courtois to deny Alexis, Isaac Romero and Alfonso González on four strikes in the second half. But Sevilla could have gone ahead if it had just showed more finishing touch early on.
The result was still in doubt until Mbappé converted his spot kick after Juanlu fouled Rodrygo in the area.
Madrid is in second place at one point behind Barcelona before the leader visits third-placed Villarreal on Sunday.
