Pakistan will need to face 31 overs until stumps and 121 overs overall in the series finale after draws in Rawalpindi and Karachi.
LAHORE: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-March 24th, 2022) Usman Khawaja capped a series for the ages in his country of birth with another century, as Australia declared after tea on day four with a lead of 350 runs in the deciding third Test against Pakistan.
Captain Pat Cummins ended Australia's second innings at 227 for 3 with Khawaja on 104 not out and Travis Head unbeaten on 11. Pakistan will need to face 31 overs until stumps and 121 overs overall in the series finale after draws in Rawalpindi and Karachi.
History is against Pakistan with 210 being the highest successful fourth innings chase in Lahore while no team has survived more than 110 overs. Pakistan did remarkably well to stave off defeat in Karachi by surviving 171.4 overs, but this looms as a tough challenge on a slow Lahore surface offering reverse swing and occasional turn.
Pakistan's attempts to rouse a comeback on day four were defied by Khawaja, who notched his 12th Test century - and second in the series. The remade opener has now scored fourth tons in nine innings since being recalled in January and has been the dominant batter in this series with 496 runs at 165.33. He was the only Australian batter to score a century in the historic series, the first between the teams in Pakistan since 1998.
Just before tea, in more celebrations for Australia, Steven Smith smoked a boundary to become the quickest to 8000 Test runs in his 151th innings - one faster than Sri Lanka great Kumar Sangakkara.
Leading by 220 runs at lunch with nine wickets in hand, there was an expectation Australia would put the foot down in a bid to force an early declaration. As has been the case throughout the series, runs were hard to muster against the older ball although Australia didn't particularly look in any great hurry.
With wickets hard to come by for Pakistan, dashing their hopes of a fightback, a stalemate ensued for much of the second session with attention turning to when Cummins would declare.
Marnus Labuschagne, who had made two ducks twice in his last three innings, avoided a pair with a reverse sweep off Sajid Khan and was fortunate to survive on 11 when he top-edged to a leaping Nauman Ali, who fumbled the chance.
Pakistan turned to Naseem Shah, who had been sparingly used and held back for the older ball, and the young quick produced reverse swing and sheer speed but was unable to provide a burst of inspiration like he memorably conjured on day two.
After a sedate first hour, Labuschagne decided to accelerate and attacked left-arm spinner Nauman but it eventually proved his downfall on 36 when he holed out to deep midwicket. It finished a relatively lean series for No.1 Test ranked batter Labuschagne, who averaged 34 and remained without a Test century away from Australia.
Khawaja then decided to take up the role of aggressor with three boundaries off quick Hasan Ali to inch towards his century. He had received luck on 31 after being bowled by a pearler only for Naseem to have overstepped.
After a disastrous final hour on day three, where they collapsed to lose 7 for 20, Pakistan hoped to regroup quickly but their bid for a comeback in this see-saw of a match has fallen flat. They went through the motions in the first session with David Warner the only wicket to fall for 51.
Foreshadowing their woes, Warner played and missed at a good length delivery from Hasan Ali in the sixth over only for replays later to confirm a thin edge. A hapless Pakistan was left to rue not appealing as Hasan could only grin when he saw the replay.
They finally received a spark when Shaheen Shah Afridi unleashed a spectacular delivery to uproot Warner's off stump in an unplayable ball much like his counterparts Cummins and Mitchell Starc produced late on day three.
In a nod to the firecracker, a sporting Warner shook Shaheen's hand on his way off to continue the friendly fire between the combatants after engaging in a good natured standoff to end day three, which culminated in a hilarious image that has since gone viral.
After being defied by a gutsy Pakistan in Karachi, Australia know there is still work to be done to claim the series.
