DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Aaron Finch and Usman Khawaja provided Australia with a steady start Wednesday after Pakistan set the visitors a huge 462-run target to win the first test on the fourth day.
Australia reached 72-0 at tea after Pakistan declared its second innings at 181-6 for an overall lead of 461 runs. Australia still needs 390 runs with a minimum of 114 overs still remaining.
Australia's highest ever successful run chase to win a test match came in 1948 when it chased down 404 against England in Leeds.
Finch was unbeaten on 39 while Khawaja was not out on 32 at the tea break, negotiating the twin spin threat of Yasir Shah and Bilal Asif.
Khawaja didn't allow Shah to settle down early, reverse sweeping the legspinner with authority while Finch played some exquisite cover drives.
Both batsmen looked comfortable as they were in the first innings when they raised 142 runs for the opening wicket before Australia collapsed to 202 all out and conceded a massive 280-run lead.
Pakistan, which scored an impressive 482 in the first innings, declared half an hour after lunch when Asad Shafiq (41) missed out on a successive half century and holed out in the deep while going for quick runs.
Resuming on 45-3, Pakistan added a further 110 runs in the first session and took the total to 155-5 as the Australian spinners couldn't stop the flow of runs.
Opener Imam-ul-Haq scored a fluent 48 and first innings century-maker Haris Sohail made 39 before both batsmen fell at the same total of 110.
Imam offered a tame return catch to left-arm spinner Jon Holland (3-83) and Sohail was trapped leg before wicket by Marnus Labuschagne.
Nathan Lyon (2-58) surpassed West Indies great Lance Gibbs' test wickets tally of 309 when Shafiq was caught by Mitchell Marsh at deep midwicket before Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed declared.
___
More AP sports: https://apnews.com/tag/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Disclaimer: This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Associated Press (AP) wire.
