Record-breaking Babar Azam up there with the best after Pakistan heroics

Pakistan captain Babar Azam has long established his credentials in limited-overs cricket, but his 196 against Australia put him up there with some greats in the long form of the game too. Azam fought valiantly for 10 hours and seven minutes in an innings lasting 425 deliveries to help Pakistan salvage a draw on Wednesday in the second Test in Karachi. His heroic innings became the second-longest knock in the fourth innings of a Test, just 36 minutes behind Michael Atherton's 185 not out that ensured England saved the 1995 Johannesburg Test against South Africa.

Azam added 228 for the third wicket with Abdullah Shafique (96) and 115 for the fifth with Mohammad Rizwan (104 not out) as Pakistan defied the Australian attack for 171.4 overs. The epic draw kept the three-match series -- Australia's first in Pakistan for 24 years -- tied at 0-0 after the first Test also ended in a draw in Rawalpindi. Former Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq told AFP that Azam's performance was "career defining".

The 27-year-old Azam's remarkable effort was the highest score by a captain in the fourth innings of a Test, surpassing Atherton's South Africa knock and propelling him above the likes of Don Bradman and Ricky Ponting. Azam also became the highest individual scorer for Pakistan in the fourth innings of a Test, surpassing Younis Khan's 171 not out against Sri Lanka in 2015. His masterclass kept the Aussies at bay after the visitors dominated for five days and looked certain to win the match, having set the hosts a mammoth 506-run target.