Pakistan racked up an astounding 728 for 4 for the entire match as the Test ended 21 overs early
\n RAWALPINDI
\nImam-ul-Haq cracked a century in each innings and his opening partner Abdullah Shafique hit a maiden hundred as Pakistan\u2019s first home Test against Australia in 24 years ended in a tame draw in Rawalpindi on Tuesday.
\nHaq made an unbeaten 111 following up his 157 in the first innings, while Shafique finished on 136 as Pakistan were 252 without loss when the match ended without a result.
\nAustralia scored 459 in reply to Pakistan\u2019s first innings score of 476-4 declared.
\nAustralia\u2019s first Test on Pakistan soil since 1998 \u2014 they previously declined to visit on security grounds \u2014 was ultimately spoiled by a flat Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium pitch.
\nA combined total of 1,187 runs were scored for just 14 wickets over five days as the famed Australian pace trio of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood \u2014 with 674 Test wickets between them before this match \u2014 got just one more.
\nWith a draw assured, the Pakistan openers took the opportunity for batting practise ahead of the second Test in Karachi starting Saturday.
\nIn doing so, they became the first Pakistan pair to put on a century opening stand in both innings of a Test against Australia after teaming up for 105 on Friday.
\nShafique was the first to reach his century, pushing seamer Cameron Green for a single to reach the mark in 209 minutes. In all, he hit 15 boundaries and a six.
\nHaq, who was playing his first Test since December 2019, pushed part-timer Travis Head for two to complete his century in 276 minutes.
\nTheir stand is Pakistan\u00b4s highest for the first wicket against Australia in all Tests, bettering the 149 set by Khalid Ibadullah and Abdul Kadir in Karachi in 1964. So dominating were the two openers that it became only the first instance in 51 years when Australia conceded 100-plus opening stands in both innings of a Test.
\nGeoff Boycott and John Edrich of England were the last pair to achieve the feat against Australia, in Adelaide in 1971.
\nEarlier, left-arm spinner Nauman Ali bowled a nagging line and length to mop up the Australian tail and finished with career-best figures of 6-107 in 38.1 overs \u2014 his third five-wicket haul in eight Tests.
\nHis effort enabled Pakistan to get the last three wickets with the addition of just 10 runs after Australia resumed on 449-7.
\nNauman \u2014 whose previous best of 5-35 came on his debut against South Africa in Karachi last year \u2014 dismissed Australian skipper Pat Cummins for eight and Nathan Lyon for three in quick succession.
\nLeft-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi got rid of Starc to finish with figures of 2-88 in 30 overs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Pakistan racked up an astounding 728 for 4 for the entire match as the Test ended 21 overs early RAWALPINDI Imam-ul-Haq cracked a century in each innings and his opening partner Abdullah Shafique hit a maiden hundred as Pakistan\u2019s first home Test against Australia in 24 years ended in a tame draw in Rawalpindi on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":248382,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[967,4755,744],"class_list":{"0":"post-248368","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports","8":"tag-abdullah-shafique","9":"tag-imam-ul-haq","10":"tag-test"},"yoast_head":"\n