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When Abdullah Shafique Smashed 96 Against An All-Round Australian Attack

image-lqndnz32Shafique fell short of the century by four runs. (AFP)


Pakistan's top-order batter Abdullah Shafique once again showed his class with a gritty half-century in the ongoing second Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Melbourne. Against the Australian bowlers on a pitch that has a decent bounce, he crafted a resilient innings, scoring 62 off 109 balls, laced with five boundaries. 

Shafique appeared poised for a second century against Australia until Pat Cummins executed a brilliant return catch to conclude his innings. Notably, this marked his fourth 50-plus score against the Australian team.

When Shafique's 96 almost won the game for Pakistan

In his innings of 62, Shafique showed glimpses of his brilliant 96, which he scored in Karachi last year. Having been set a humongous target of 506 runs, it was crucial for the openers to start well. In the fourth innings, it's never easy for the batters to play as they have to bat on a used wicket, especially when you lose one of your openers early. Shafique, after losing Imam–ul-Haq and Azhar Ali, battled through the tough periods and shared a mammoth 228-run stand with skipper Babar Azam, frustrating the Australian bowlers.

Shafique amassed 96 runs off 305 deliveries, batting for seven hours and 48 minutes for his 96, hitting six fours and a six. Captain Babar slammed the highest individual score (196) by a captain in the fourth innings. He also registered the highest score by a Pakistani batter in the final innings of a match. Unfortunately, Shafique couldn't reach the three-figure mark, but his innings and Babar’s 196 led the Men in Green to an unlikely draw.

Young Shafique showed a lot of character and class in this innings, proving once again why he’s rated so highly by so many across the globe.