"Probably Played The Best Innings Of...": Ramiz Raja On Babar Azam's "Match-Saving" Knock Against Australia In 2nd Test

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Ramiz Raja was elated after Pakistan managed to salvage a draw from the jaws of defeat in the recently-concluded second Test against Australia at the National Stadium in Karachi. Chasing a daunting total of 506 runs, Pakistan lost the wickets of openers Imam-ul-Haq and Azhar Ali early. However, skipper Babar Azam slammed a brilliant 196, while fighting knocks from Mohammad Rizwan (104) and Abdullah Shafique (96) eventually forced the series to a decider. Notably, the first Test in Rawalpindi had also ended in a draw.

Delighted by the fight shown by the players, Ramiz congratulated the Pakistan team, saying that it was the "best-ever" batting performance by the side in a "match-saving cause".

"We got to see an epic Test match. Some matches test your character, your will. We saw today that Pakistan, for two days, fought and saved the match. For Pakistan, this batting performance was probably the best-ever in a match-saving cause," he said in a video uploaded on PCB's official YouTube channel.

Ramiz further lauded Babar for showing grit and determination in a pressure situation, adding that the batter "probably played the best innings of his life".

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"I don't know what to say about Babar. He probably played the best innings of his life. When you know that you can't afford to make mistakes, pressure builds automatically. Additionally, the close-in fielders add to the pressure and you have to revisit the process. But it was a brilliant batting performance," he added.

The third and final Test starts Monday in Lahore, which will also host the upcoming white-ball games between the two sides.