Pakistan beat Australia in a test for the first time since 1995 after winning by three wickets in an excruciatingly tense finish on Saturday to level the two-match Test series at 1-1.
Pakistan beat Australia in a test for the first time since 1995 after winning by three wickets in an excruciatingly tense finish on Saturday to level the two-match Test series at 1-1.
Imran Farhat was Pakistan’s top scorer with 67 while Azhar Ali scored 51 from 107 balls with six fours at Headingley.
Ben Hilfenhaus was Australia’s most potent bowler with 3-39, while Doug Bollinger finished with 3-53 after a nerve-shredding morning session.
Umpire Rudi Koertzen, officiating in his 108th and final test before retiring, was given a guard of honour by the players as he walked on to the field.
It was the last peaceful action of the morning as Pakistan, starting day four on 140-3, lost four wickets for 40 runs in the morning session before edging past the finish line.
If Australia was to stand a realistic chance, it needed Bollinger to fire early and the initial signs were discouraging, as his third delivery was a full toss that Ali smashed through the covers for four, bringing up his first test 50.
However, Bollinger’s next ball tempted Ali into a rash prod outside off stump and he was caught behind by Tim Paine.
Umar Akmal had already edged Hilfenhaus for four through the slips when he was caught behind off the same bowler for 8, leaving Pakistan five wickets down with 30 still needed.
Having lost 4-13 in 53 balls, Pakistan looked increasingly jittery, particularly when Bollinger made loud but vain appeals from successive deliveries at the end of the 43rd over.
Australia was also affected by nerves, however, with Michael Clarke dropping Shoaib Malik at second slip after he nicked a ball from Bollinger in the 45th over, when Malik was on 4.
Marcus North then produced a sensational catch to remove Malik for 10 off Hilfenhaus an over later, but a beautiful cover drive from Kamran Akmal off Bollinger in the next over reduced the target to 15.
Akmal played and missed at Bollinger’s next delivery, but steered a ball from Hilfenhaus through the vacant third slip area for four in the 48th over.
Akmal carved the final ball of the over through point for another four, slashing the target to six.
Australia captain Ricky Ponting replaced Bollinger with Mitchell Johnson at the Kirkstall Lane End for the 49th over, and his fourth delivery generated controversy when Michael Hussey claimed a catch.
Akmal refused to walk and with television umpires unable to prove the ball hadn’t bounced, he was given not out.
In the next over, Aamer edged a four through the slips from Hilfenhaus to level the scores.
Akmal fell to a sensational catch on 13 from Hussey in the 51st over, but Umar Gul took Pakistan over the line with a single from the next ball, ending a run of 13 consecutive victories for Australia against Pakistan.
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