SUMMARY: Australia 556-9 dec (Khawaja 160, Carey 93, Ashraf 2-55) and 97-2 dec (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)
Babar Azam’s majestic 196 helped Pakistan bat for almost two days in Karachi to rescue an unlikely draw against Australia in the second Test.
Set 506 to win, the captain batted for 425 balls and more than 10 hours as the hosts survived 171.4 overs to end 443-7, Mohammad Rizwan making 104 not out.
Babar fell with 12 overs to go and Faheem Ashraf departed for a duck one ball later to set up a tense finish.
But Rizwan saw off 46 balls with number nine Nauman Ali to complete the escape.
It means the series remains tied at 0-0 going into the final Test in Lahore, which starts on Monday.
Rizwan, who batted for 177 balls and reached his century in the penultimate over, was dropped at extra cover by Usman Khawaja off leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson with 3.1 overs to go.
Babar, the world’s top-ranked T20 batter, showed he could adapt to the requirements of a Test by displaying admirable patience and concentration in a brilliant defensive innings.
He saw off 41.2 overs with Rizwan in a stand of 115 and 86.4 overs with opener Abdullah Shafique, who made 96 from 305 balls, in a partnership of 228 which began at 21-2 on the fourth day.
In total Babar batted for 603 minutes, making his knock the second longest in the fourth innings of a Test after former England captain Michael Atherton’s famous 185 not out against South Africa in 1995, which lasted 643 minutes.
The only occasion a side has survived more overs to save a Test was England against South Africa in a timeless Test in 1939.
Khawaja, playing in the country of his birth, scored 160 in the first innings but Australia chose not to ask Pakistan to follow-on after dismissing them for 148. (BBC Sport)
