On this day in 2016: Pakistan nearly pull off a miraculous chase against Australia
Pakistan fell painfully short of a mammoth 490-run target on this day in Brisbane in the Day-Night affair in 2016. Australia were hosting Pakistan for the three-Test series, and the series was to go underway with the D/N encounter at the Gabba.
Australia make a solid start
Having won the toss and electing to bat, Australian openers began cautiously. Matt Renshaw’s hard-fought 71 would become the perfect platform for Steven Smith and Peter Handscomb to keep their team ahead. At the end of the day’s play, Australia were 288 for 3, with Smith and Handscomb unbeaten on 110 and 64, respectively.
Continuing the next morning, Australia went on to bat a little over the first session before they were dismissed for 429. Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz, who bagged four wickets each, had shown the assistance that was on offer from the track, for the pacers.
The Pakistani batsmen felt alien to the conditions as they failed to counter the swinging, bouncing, pink ball under lights. Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, and Jackson Bird had such speed, accuracy, and movement for Pakistan’s batsmen. The visitors fell apart for 142, thereby conceding a mammoth lead of 287.
The chase
Pakistan is the ONLY ASIAN side to score 450 runs in a Test match at the Gabba in Brisbane.
Asad Shafiq’s 137 in the second innings got Pakistan close to a mammoth 490-run target in 2016.#AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/i5l9mPsaKH
— M (@Muneeb313_) November 17, 2019
Half-centuries from Usman Khwaja and Steven Smith led Australia to 202 for 5, before the call of the declaration was made to set a target of 490 for Pakistan on Day 3. Going into the close of play, Australia had made early inroads as Sami Aslam and Babar Azam had fallen to Starc and Lyon, respectively, and Pakistan ended the day at 70 for 2.
Pakistan responded far better in the 2nd dig as Azhar Ali and Younis Khan got to half-centuries and steadied the ship for their team. They frustrated the Australian bowlers the entire fourth day as Asad Shafiq showed a remarkable fightback.
The events unfurled rather interestingly by the end of day’s play Asad Shafiq added a 92 with Mohammad Amir (48) and 66 with Wahab Riaz (30) on the fourth day, which ended with Pakistan needing 108 runs to beat Australia with two wickets in hand, and Shafiq standing unbeaten at 100. Resuming at 382 for 8, on the final day, Shafiq took his team forward alongside Yasir Shah, who fought his way through a 66-ball 33. Although, Starc got the most priced wicket of Shafiq at 137 after the visitors fell woefully short by 39 in what could have been a historic chase.
