Pakistan VS Australia Test Series 
2nd Test Played at Karachi National Stadium from 12-16 March 2022
Brief Scorecard 
Australia 556/9 Declared (Usman Khwaja 156, Alex Carey 93, Steven Smith 72, Nathan Lyon 38, David Warner 36,  Faheem Ashraf 2/65, Sajid Khan 2/165 ) 
And 97/2 (Usman Khwaja 44*, Marnus Labuschagne 44*) 
Pakistan 148 All Out (Babar Azam 36, Nauman Ali 20*, Imam Ul Haq 20*, Mitchell Starc 3/29, Michael Swepson 2/39) and 
443/7 in 171.4 Overs  (Babar Azam 196, Mohammad Rizwan 104*, Abdullah Shafique 96, Nathan Lyon 4/112) 
Match: Drawn
Player of The Match: Babar Azam 

Australian Captain Cummins set an unassailable target of 506 for Pakistan in a little less than two days on the wearing wicket gripping a bit and assisting reverse.  

The staunchest of Pakistan cricket admirers not even had wildest of dream of Babar squad surviving the test. But record-setting spreading mission survival inspired Pakistan earning an honorable draw. Pakistan finished at 443 /7 batting for 117.4 Overs. Babar himself played an epic innings of 196 staying at the wicket for 425 deliveries. He set few milestones in the process. Rookie Abdullah Shafique (96) played another innings of grits and determination. 

Flamboyant Mohammad Rizwan remained unbeaten on 104. Strong Australian attack unleashed every possible trick to dislodge first Shafique and Azam and at later stage Babar and Rizwan. Pakistan batsmen survived raw pace of Cummins, Pace, bounce and reverse swing of Starc, bouncers of Green, Spin and deceptive turns of Lyon and Swepson. Babar’s innings can only be compared with little master Hanif Mohammad’s (337) played against West Indies. Few chances were not availed. Fortune favors the brave. Babar and Rizwan were really brave.  But it was classic test batting produced by Babar inspired Pakistan. No captain before Babar scored more than him in the fourth innings of a test match. The 3 matches test series after two tests stays locked at 0-0. A team that got bundled out for 148 lasting only 53 overs in the first innings batted out 171.4 overs against the same opposition on more difficult condition. It was a great test match on a historic venue. 

Critics may blame Cummins for not enforcing the follow on. But full credit must go to Pakistan batting their hearts out with never say die attitude. Hope other teams would take a leaf how Babar, Rizwan and Shafique batted. An epic test match. Perhaps persons like Nevil Cardus could pen picture it properly.

Captains Scoring Most Runs In 4th Innings of Test

Earlier on day four resolute partnership between Babar and Shafique made the test delicately poised for day five. The partnership persisted till rookie Shafique, unfortunately, missed a well-deserved century with one stroke away. 228 runs 3rd wicket partnership laid the foundation of Pakistan’s epic fight back. Fawad Alam could not stay longer. Then came another strong resistance in the fifth wicket partnership between Babar and Rizwan two of the most accomplished batsmen of World Cricket. Babar’s superb marathon innings of 196 off 425 balls featured 21 fours and a six. Sad that the career highest innings fell 4 runs short of 200 when he prodded a Lyon delivery. 

Labuschagne snapped up. Rizwan looked unperturbed Austrian sensing blood unleashed every tricks. Faheem and Sajid perished in no time. But Nauman held on doggedly. Rizwan scored 104. Pakistan finished at 443/7 surviving 171.4 Overs. It was a fair outcome as neither team deserved to lose.

Babar Azam added few new feathers to his cap. He was already top batsman in ODI and T20. This innings took him ahead of Virat Kohli. No Pakistani batsman scored more than him batting in the 4th innings of a test.  Now teams would have to settle score at Lahore to start on 21st March. 

The last innings that Pakistan produced would give them great moral boost. World cricket saw why Babar is rated so high by players of the past. Shafique is a new addition to Pakistan’s potential new stars. Rizwan did justice to his reputation. Pakistan have to work out a better bowling combination.

BDST: 1240 HRS, MAR 17, 2022
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