Pakistan vs Australia: Eight wickets needed for Aussie win in Karachi, but Babar Azam stands in the way

Australia is hunting eight wickets to win on the final day of the second Test in Karachi, after a mammoth batting effort from Pakistan on day four.

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By Jon Healy

By Jon Healy

Before reaching three figures late yesterday, Babar Azam had not scored a Test ton since February 8, 2020.

That's 766 days. That's 18,384 hours. That's 1,103,040 minutes. That's… just so many Olympic-sized swimming pools.

After starting the series with a pair of 36s, Babar came to the crease yesterday with his team 2-21, still 486 runs from victory, with a day-and-a-half left to survive.

He didn't change his approach, playing each ball on its merits — driving half-volleys, cutting wide ones from the spinners — and giving no real chances on his way to 100 off 180 balls.

He's given Pakistan hope of not just batting out the draw, but, with 314 runs required, a slim chance of pulling off the greatest run chase in Test history.

By Jon Healy

It all comes down to this. Australia needs eight wickets to win the second Test.

The poles didn't come as regularly as Pat Cummins would have hoped or perhaps expected on day four, meaning Pakistan is actually on the brink of something special.

The hosts need 314 runs to leave Karachi with a miraculous win. Now, before yesterday, you'd have said that was fanciful (506 runs would be comfortably the biggest successful run chase in Test history), but after Babar Azam and Abdullah Shafique batted for the vast majority of day four, it's tough not to think about it.

More realistically, Pakistan will aim to bat out the day for a draw, which again, feels reasonable after the performance on Tuesday.

Pakistan captain will resume on 102, his first Test ton