Highest run chase in Test cricket: Pakistan need to score a mammoth 506 runs in order to win the second Test against Australia.
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Australia scored just 16 runs in the four overs that they played on the fourth day of the ongoing second Test match against Pakistan in Karachi. It took Pakistan speedster Shaheen Shah Afridi to dismiss Australia batter Marnus Labuschagne (44) for captain Pat Cummins to declare the innings.
In the morning session itself, Pakistan opening batter Imam-ul-Haq (1) failed twice in a row after his twin centuries in Rawalpindi to provide his team with a horrible start to a mammoth 506-run chase.
A submissive batting strategy in the remainder of the session witnessed Pakistan scoring a total of 18 runs in 21 overs before players returned to their respective pavilions for lunch.
Needing as many as 488 runs in five sessions with nine wickets in hand to win this match, Pakistan will have to register one of their best fourth innings batting performance to both win or draw this match.
Highest run chase in Test cricket
The current record for highest fourth innings chase in Test cricket lies with West Indies, who had sealed a 418-run target against Australia in Antigua almost 19 years ago. The second-highest run-chase in Test cricket was achieved by South Africa when they had chased down a 414-run target in Perth over 13 years ago.
The record for the highest-ever fourth innings score rests with England, who had scored a mammoth 654/5 in a 696-run chase during their tour of South Africa in 1939 in Durban.
Speaking exclusive about Pakistan, their highest fourth innings total had come against Australia in Brisbane in 2016. Chasing a 490-run target, Pakistan had scored 450/10 in 145 overs on the back of batter Asad Shafiq arguably playing his level best to score 137 (207).
Pakistan’s highest successful fourth innings run chase had come a year ago than this when they had sealed a 377-run target with seven wicket in hand primarily due to individual centuries by Shan Masood (125) and Younis Khan (171*).
Highest 4th innings run chase in Karachi Tests
As far as the National Stadium is concerned, highest-ever fourth innings total (also the highest successful run chase) of 315/9 in 106.1 overs had also come in a Pakistan vs Australia Test match way back in 1994.
Other than this effort, Pakistan have only sealed a couple of 200+ successful run chases in Karachi Tests over the years. Hence, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that saving this match is near impossible for them.
| Team | Runs | Overs | Opposition | Year |
| Pakistan | 315/9 | 106.1 | Australia | 1994 |
| Pakistan | 217/3 | 70 | Bangladesh | 2003 |
| Pakistan | 202/2 | 60 | New Zealand | 1965 |
| England | 176/4 | 41.3 | Pakistan | 2000 |
| Pakistan | 164/2 | 24.5 | India | 1978 |
