DUBAI: The first Test between Pakistan and Australia ended in a draw on Thursday after the Green Shirts did not manage to take the two wickets required to gain a 1-0 lead in the two-match Test series. Even though Yasir Shah took three wickets in quick succession to revive Pakistan’s hopes for victory, the lull that followed soon after made the game quite uninteresting by the last over. His third and fourth victim in the game were Mitchell Starc (1) and Peter Siddle (0) soon after he had taken the crucial wicket of set batsmen and hero of the day – Usman Khawaja. Khawaja (141) – whose fighting hundred had kept Pakistan’s victory bid in check – had to departed for the pavilion as Shah took him on a lbw appeal in the 126th over. The batsmen was unbeaten on 120 for his seventh Test century and with him skipper Tim Paine was 19 not out as Australia – set a daunting 462-run target – need to bat out another 31 overs for a draw. Khawaja had added an invaluable 132 runs for the fourth wicket with Travis Head (72) as Pakistan failed to get a single wicket in the first session after Australia resumed at 136-3. He took a single to short mid-wicket off to Mohammad Hafeez to complete his century that has so far included 11 boundaries. No team has successfully chased more than the 418-7 West Indies made against Australia in the Antigua Test in 2003. Pakistan had expected early wickets after jolting Australia to 136-3 at the close on the fourth day, but nothing worked for skipper Sarfraz Ahmed, who made multiple bowling changes. Pakistan could have had Head leg-before off leg-spinner Yasir Shah on 44, but Sarfraz did not review English umpire Richard Kettleborough’s not out decision when replays showed the ball hitting the wickets. Pakistan were only rewarded after lunch when they took the second new ball as soon as it was due and Hafeez trapped Head leg-before with the first ball. Yasir Shah took his first in the match when he dismissed Marnus Labuschagne for 13. Published in Daily Times, October 12th 2018.