Pakistan and Australia tussle for win after Khawaja, Smith milestones

Pakistan started confidently yesterday in pursuit of a 351-run target in the series-deciding third Test against Australia, ending on 73 without loss at the close in Lahore.   

Openers Imam-ul-Haq and Abdullah Shafique were unbeaten on 42 and 27 respectively, leaving the home team needing another 278 runs in 90 overs, with all ten wickets intact when play resumes today.   

Australian skipper Pat Cummins declared their second innings at 227-3 shortly after tea, a bold decision considering Pakistan managed 443-7 in pursuit of 506 runs to draw last week’s Karachi Test. The first Test in Rawalpindi also ended in a draw.   

Australia were unlucky not to have dismissed Shafique off the penultimate delivery of the day when slip Steve Smith had a touch of a Marnus Labuschagne delivery that instead found the boundary.   

Chief Scores:  
Australia 391 (U. Khawaja 91, C. Green 79, A. Carey 67, S. Smith 59; N. Shah 4-58, S. Afridi 4-79) and 227-3 dec. (U. Khawaja 104, D. Warner 51, M. Labuschagne 36; S. Afridi 1-45, N. Ali 1-23)  
Pakistan 268 (A. Shafique 81, A. Ali 78, B. Azam 68; M. Starc 4-33, P. Cummins 5-56) and 73 for no loss at stumps