Pakistan survived an intriguing last session to reach 73-0 on day four after a bold declaration 🍸by Australia set a tricky target of 351 runs in the series-deciding third test on Thursday.
Opening batters Imam-ul-Haq, 42 not out, and Abdullah Shafique, 27 not out, survived television referrals against offspinner Nathan Lyon to leave the home team still needing 278 runs in a minimum 90 🌜overs on the last day Friday.
Shafique had a close escape when Steve Smith's poor ru💦n in the slips continued as the Australia vice-captain couldn't hold onto a sharp chance off Marnus Labuschagne's penultimate ball of the day.
Captain Pat Cummins declared Australia's second innings at 227-3 shortly 🍨after tea, Usman Khawaja havi🐽ng achieved an unbeaten 104, his second successive century to round off a brilliant tour to the country of his birth.
It gave Australia nearly four sessions to have a crack at Pakistan, after missing out in the second test at Karachi where Pakistan batted for 171.4 o𒀰vers and forced an epic draw.
The worn-out pitch at Lahore encouraged Cummins after Pakistan collapsed to 268 in the first innings against the brutal reverse swing of Cummins and Mitchell Starc 🌠to concede a massive 123-runs lead.
Khawaja featured🌳 in three half-century stands and raised his hundred at the stroke of tea as Australia blunted the reverse swing of Naseem Shah (1-23) and S♐haheen Shah Afridi (1-45) while scoring freely against spinners Nauman Ali and Sajid Khan.
Khawaja made 97 in the drawn first test at Rawalpindi and followed with 160 and 44 not out at Karachi. Despite being ill on the opening day of this test, Khawaja scored𒅌 91 in the first innings. The left-hander has an impressive 496 runs at a series average of 165.33.
Khawaja combined in a 96-run🐻 opening stand with David Warner, who was cleꦫan bowled on 51 by Afridi in the penultimate over before lunch.
Labuschagne, with 36, then shared another brisk 65-run stand with Khawaja before he swept hard ꦦat left-arm spinner Nauman and was caught at de🗹ep midwicket in the second session.
Smith scored only 17 but on 7 became the fastest batter to 8,000 test runsও in his 151st inning, one quicker than former Sri Lanka skipper Kumar Sangakkara. Naseem found the outside edge of Smith's bat soon after tea.
In an eventful morning session, Pakistan missed out on dismisings Warner early; Khawaja escaped on 31 after he was bowled off Naseem's no-ball and🌞 then umpire Aleem Dar was involved in an animated conversation with Warner likely about how and where the veteran was running on the deteriorating pitch.
Warner even removed his helmet and gloves, exchanging words🧜 with Dar before play resumed after nearly three minutes.
