Last Updated on 3 years by Charbel Coorey

Cricket News: 10 incredible stats from Pakistan’s great escape in Karachi Test | Stats from the draw between Pakistan and Australia in the Karachi Test

Australia’s highly-anticipated tour of Pakistan has seen another draw. However, it was quite the contrast to the bore draw in Rawalpindi, with Pakistan batting the best part of two days to seal a great escape in the Karachi Test.

Faced with 172 overs to survive after getting rolled for 148 in the first innings, Pakistan’s task was made all the more difficult after the loss of two early wickets. They looked at long odds of getting a positive result out of a Test they had been dominated in, but Abdullah Shafique and the magnificent Babar Azam went about grinding Australia into the ground. They executed to near perfection, with Mohammad Rizwan finishing the job with a century of his own.

With Pakistan’s relief comes Australia’s concern. It is the fifth such time since 2019 that the Australian team has been unable to finish the job on the fifth day, with the Karachi Test representing a huge missed opportunity for Pat Cummins’ team. Australia utterly dominated the first three-and-a-half days of the Test, only to fall short as the bowlers lacked penetration due to minimal reverse swing and slow turn.

For Pakistan, it is a time to reflect and be pleased. After all, some of the stats make for some great reading. Here are 10 from Pakistan’s escape in the Karachi Test.

10 stats from Pakistan’s huge effort to draw the Karachi Test

1. Second-most overs batted to save a match in Test history

Pakistan’s mammoth effort is up there with one of the top performances in Test history. In fact, their 171.4 overs is the second-most overs batted in the fourth innings in Test history, only behind England’s 218.2 overs in the 1938/39 Timeless Test. They are the only two teams to bat 1,000+ deliveries in the fourth innings to save a Test.

What makes the feat all the more impressive is the fact Pakistan lasted just 53 overs in the first innings. It is another example of Pakistan producing results at extreme ends of both spectrums.

2. Fifth-highest total in the fourth innings of a Test

Pakistan’s 443/7 is the fifth-highest total in the fourth innings of a Test. Here is the full list:

• England 654/5 vs South Africa (1939)
• New Zealand 451 vs England (2002)
• South Africa 450/7 vs India (2013)
• Pakistan 450 vs Australia (2016)
• India 445 vs Australia (1978)
• Pakistan 443/7 vs Australia (2022)

3. The highest score by a captain in the fourth innings of a Test

Babar Azam’s magnificent 196 is the highest-ever score by a captain in the fourth innings of a Test. He went past Michael Atherton’s 185* against South Africa in 1995.

4. Babar Azam, one of three Pakistani batsmen to score 150+ in the fourth innings

Only three Pakistani batsmen have scored 150+ in the fourth innings of a Test match. He joined Younis Khan and Saleem Malik in the esteemed list.

5. Most deliveries faced by a Pakistani batsman in the fourth innings

Babar Azam’s 425 deliveries faced in a record for most balls faced in the fourth innings by a Pakistani batsman. Shoaib Malik previously held the record after he batted 369 balls against Sri Lanka in Colombo in 2006.

The previous highest score by a Pakistani batsman in the fourth innings in Pakistan was 138* by Inzamam-ul-Haq against Bangladesh in Multan in 2003.

6. Fourth player to face 400+ balls in the fourth innings

Babar Azam’s innings was full of achievements. Another was the fact he became the fourth player in history to bat at least 400 deliveries in the fourth innings of a Test. He joined Herbert Sutcliffe, Sunil Gavaskar and Michael Atherton as the others to have achieved the feat.

7. Fourth wicket-keeper to score a fourth innings ton in a win or draw

Mohammad Rizwan’s superb 104* is now etched in the history books. He became just the fourth keeper-batsman to score a century in the fourth innings in a win/draw.

Adam Gilchrist (1999), Matt Prior and AB de Villiers (2013) are the others to achieve the feat.

8. Third-worst bowling figures on Test debut

It was a tough debut for Australia leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson. He bowled well in parts, but a lack of consistency showed as he finished with figures of 0/156. Only England’s Adil Rashid (0/163) and Pakistan’s Zafar Gohar (0/159) had worse figures on Test debut.

9. Fifth instance of Australia not bowling out opponent in fourth innings since 2019

Headingley 2019. SCG 2021. Gabba 2021. SCG 2022. Karachi 2022.

Australia’s failure to win the Karachi Test was the fifth such instance of the team not winning a Test from a very strong position since 2019. This one is particularly disappointing, given Australia took a 408-run lead just after the halfway point of the Test.

10. Australia’s tough run in Asia

Australia have won just three of their past 28 Tests in Asia since the start of 2008. They beat Sri Lanka in Galle in 2011, India in Pune in 2017 and Bangladesh in Chattogram in 2017. Apart from that, it has been lean pickings for the Australians, and the missed opportunity in Karachi raises further doubt as to whether this team can win in Lahore.

It was a superb effort by Pakistan to save the Test. Both teams will now be gunning for a series win in the deciding Test at Lahore which begins on 21 March.