Pakistan captain Babar Azam has scored a sensational ton on day four to give his side hope of making it out of the second Test in Karachi with at least a draw.
That looked incredibly unlikely when Australia declared with a 505-run lead on the fourth morning, leaving Pakistan almost two full days to survive to draw the Test.
Scoring the 506 runs required for victory seemed so fanciful as to not even consider it — the highest-ever successful run chase is 418 runs by West Indies in 2003 — but anything seems possible after Babar's effort, even with 314 runs needed to win on day five.
Australia clearly hoped for a repeat of day three's play, when they batted for half an hour in the morning, got the ball reverse swinging in the second session and had Pakistan all out for 148 an hour after tea.
This time Nathan Lyon removed Imam-ul-Haq, just as he did in the first innings, and Cameron Green had Azhar Ali LBW, ducking a bouncer that stayed low thanks to the cracking pitch. But unlike the surface, Pakistan's batting order refused to crumble.
Babar (102*) dug in for his first Test century since February 2020, while opener Abdullah Shafique was unbeaten on 71 off 226 balls at the close of play.
It was a spectacular turnaround from the first innings, but the one constant was the resilience of the Pakistan captain, who top-scored with 36 in the first dig, but simply ran out of partners.
This time, though, he found a willing partner in Shafique.
Having been lazily run out for 13 on day three, the 22-year-old, playing just his fourth Test, refused to budge as Pakistan stared down the prospect of batting for almost two full days on a pitch with ever-widening fractures in the surface.
After watching Imam and Azhar go down, Shafique was given a life on 20 when Steve Smith dropped a straightforward chance at slip off Pat Cummins, and then narrowly avoided being run out for the second time in the match.
From there though, chances were few and far between for Australia as Shafique shut up shop and Babar launched a controlled counterattack.
Leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson resorted to coming around the wicket and trying to bowl the batters around their legs in the final session, such was the desperation to break a partnership that was worth 171 runs by stumps.
Look back at how the day's play unfolded in our live blog.
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By Jon Healy
STUMPS: Pakistan 2-192 (Abdullah Shafique 71*, Babar Azam 102*), trailing by 313 runs
What a dig from Babar Azam. Exactly what his team needed but wouldn't have dared dream of. He never looked bogged down, never looked negative, never let the moment get to him.
He was the hero of the day, but massive props to 22-year-old Abdulah Shafique, playing his fourth Test and digging in for 226 balls on a tough deck. He was dropped on 20 and later almost run out, but he's taken those opportunities and doesn't look likely to let them go.
Aside from a couple of edges for Mitch Swepson, Australia did not look particularly likely to remove this pair in the latter half of the day and will have to find some energy to come back on day five, with eight wickets required for victory.
Pakistan, meanwhile, need 314 runs to win. Surely not. But maybe.
By Jon Healy
82nd over - Nathan Lyon to take us to stumps
Bowling with a brand new ball. Interesting call.
Shafique works two behind square.
One more single, and that's stumps.
By Jon Healy
81st over - The new ball is taken
Pat Cummins will get first use with two overs left today.
The first ball is a leading edge from Shafique that squirts away behind point.
YUGE IN-SWING. Babar chopped down on it in time, but almost chopped on again. So close. Cummins appealed just out of excitement I think.
The rest of the over is back on a good length, with less swing. Well defended by Babar.
By Jon Healy
80th over - Mitch Swepson is back over the wicket
Tow slips and a short leg in place.
Another tight over gets us into new-ball territory.
By Jon Healy
79th over - Lyon to bowl it
Twelve minutes left in today's play.
Bunted down the ground by Shafique. Mid-on is still back. I don't really get it.
By Jon Healy
CENTURY FOR BABAR AZAM!! And what a knock it is!
His first since February 8, 2020, when he got his highest Test score of 143 against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi.
He didn't reach it in emphatic fashion, with a top-edged sweep juuuuuust carrying David Warner at a short fine leg, but the three figures are the important thing.
Well actually, based on the determination on his face, it's just one thing. He knows his captain's knock wouldn't be complete if it ended now.
By Jon Healy
78th over - Swepson tasked with keeping Babar from 100
Still around the wicket.
First and second balls blocked.
By Jon Healy
77th over - Cummins is still going
He's fired one down leg. I guess he figures they'll only have an over or two with the new ball before stumps anyway, so he can just bowl through if need be, knowing he'll have a sleep between overs.
Shafique gives Babar the strike on 98, and Cummins fires in a yorker that Babar just digs out.
Oh he's almost chopped on! My word that stayed low and must have been mighty close. He moves to 99 and keeps the strike.
By Jon Healy
76th over - Babar vs Swepson
Another single to the leg side as Swepson continues around the wicket. Might be time to come back over.
And he does.
Half a shout as Swepson finds the pad, but going miles down leg.
But he's still around the wicket to Babar. Perhaps hoping to starve him of that 100 for a little longer. It's been 25 months since his last Test ton.
Babar moves to 98, accidentally punching the ball down leg as he looks to sweep.
By Jon Healy
75th over - Cummins to Babar
He moves into the 90s, finding a single to the near-empty off side.
FOUR! Babar has complete control of the pull shot, so far in front of square.
Cummins around the wicket, and Babar works behind square. He moves to 95. Babar will want to reach 100 before the second new ball you'd think.
By Jon Healy
74th over - Mitch Swepson is continuing
He's working hard from around the wicket, throwing in a wrong'un every now and then, but I think Babar's picking it. Aside from the action, the line is just completely different.
150-run partnership is up! Could this be ominous for Australia, or will the new ball bring about a shift?
By Jon Healy
73rd over - Pat Cummins is having a dig
I can't imagine this will be more than an over or two, with the new ball imminent.
Aleem Dar has called a no ball for three men behind square on the leg side. Khawaja stepping behind at square leg, with the leg slip and fine leg makes three.
FOUR! What a shot. The short ball angled in at Babar and he's just punched off his chest, sending the ball racing away to point. Amazing timing.
Drop and run to cover, and Marnus steams in and comes up with a direct hit. Good running from Shafique this time though.
Stacked leg side field. Batters know what's coming. Wow, a shorter ball has stayed very low, but Shafique managed to get the bat down to it very well.
He tries a short ball from around the wicket to end the over. It's kept down though. The old ball isn't really rushing the batters here, even at 140kph.
By Jon Healy
72nd over - Swepson around the wicket
He tries to straighten a wrong'un down the line. He didn't quite get the line right though. Shafique still didn't look comfortable
And then a bit of inside edge as Shafique tries to clip off his hip. Pretty good effort bowling from around the wicket in your first Test as a leg-spinner from Swepson here.
By Jon Healy
71st over - Lyon around the wicket to Babar
Steely defence. Trying to work the spinners through until the new ball. Cameron Green, Steve Smith or Marnus Labuschagne could have a trundle before then though.
By Jon Healy
Why did I find yesterday’s worth of play so much more exciting?
-Bart
Probably the 12 wickets and massive reverse swing.
By Jon Healy
70th over - Swepson to Babar
Down leg and Babar tries to sweep. No contact, but the ball spits up off Carey and goes away for a few byes. This is a nightmare for the keeper.
The close fielders are acting as if every ball down leg is a hair's breadth away from the leg stump. Most aren't.
Play's stopped. Umpires are chatting. Pakistan's trainer is coming out. Oh, Shafique got caught on the grill as he tried to sweep, so they have to go through concussion protocols.
By Jon Healy
69th over - Lyon hops into his action one more
Lyon seems to be tiring and Shafique nudges a single to that long-on.
Lyon goes around the wicket for the first time in this Test.
Easily negotiated by Babar and Shafique. Coming around the wicket, he has to land it in the middle of the pitch where there's no rough. And this old ball isn't giving him a lot of bounce.
By Jon Healy
68th over - Swepson around the wicket again
The first ball is a full toss that David Warner does well to stop at leg slip.
A pretty harsh wide called by Aleem Dar. The ball was spinning back in towards leg stump. Rough call.
Babar happy to keep kicking the ball away.
