PAK VS AUS - 1st Test, Australia v Pakistan in UAE, 2018

Some things in life make you wait, bore you to death and refuse to move on before the climax. But when the climax is filled with such levels of taking you to a trance-like state, you'd happily wait for it. Dubai is one such drug. So, we switch emirates with the series still level, and given that this is only a two-match series, you couldn't have asked anything better. Here's hoping the next match at least tries matching up, as I, Vineet Anantharaman sign off on behalf of Pradeep Krishnamurthy, Varun Dixit and our scorer Harish. Until Abu Dhabi, ta ta!!

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As we wind up, here are some stats on this amazing Test by the ever reliable Deepu Narayanan

** Most consecutive Tests without a draw:
26 Zim (2005-17)
23 Aus (1999-01)
22 Eng (1884-92)
22 Aus (2001-03)
22 Pak (2015-18) - streak ended today

** This is the first drawn Test between Pakistan & Australia since October 1998 - 19 consecutive Tests with a result before this draw (Pak won 3, Aus won 16).

** Most overs batted in 4th inngs for a draw (Asia):
142.0 Ban v Zim, Dhaka, 2005
140.0 Eng v SL, Kandy, 2003
139.5 Aus v Pak, Dubai, 2018
136.0 Ind v WI, Kolkata, 1948

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Sarfraz Ahmed | Pakistan skipper: Credit to Usman Khawaja for the way he batted through the day; he saved the match for Australia. I knew he understands Urdu, but he played the sweep and reverse sweep very well. He hung in there, batted really well and took the team home. We need to work hard, but we keep learning through Test cricket. The Haris review was very close too and it would have been different had that gone in our favour, but such things happen. We need to give a lot of credit to Abbas as well - he came back from County in England and took responsibility. The batsmen too did really well; Shafiq, Haris, Hafeez and Imam. We're sad but we need to give credit to the opposition for the way they batted. [Loose and poor Urdu translation]

Tim Paine | Australian skipper: It was an extremely tough Test match. They had us under the pump for a long time but I am proud of the way my team played. Everyone had a plan - Usman was looking to be positive and I am very happy with the way we prepared and everyone stuck to their guns in the second innings. I was nervous; very nervous. Once you get set here it becomes a lot easier. No, I don't think it feels like a win. We were outplayed but we can take a lot out of the way we played in the second innings and take it to Abu Dhabi with the series alive.

Usman Khawaja | Man of the Match: I wasn't really thinking too much. We had a belief in the team that if we batted well in the first session, which we did, we could take it to the end. Credit to the Pakistanis as well, they played in tremendous spirit. Everytime you get a hundred for Australia it is amazing; I am very privileged to be playing for them. There was rough on both sides of the wicket for a left-hander and that is why I had a plan (to reverse sweep).

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Harsha Bhogle: I guess this will raise the question of whether the follow-on should have been imposed. But when you bowl a side out in 80 overs in the 1st innings, you have to back yourself to win in 140 overs.

But Pakistan would believe they've made a mess here of a certain victory. Remember, they lost Dubai's fortress to Sri Lanka a year ago, and Australia have made them wait longer to reclaim. When three wickets fell yesterday on the same score, it looked as if this could end early. Well given the troubles the batsmen had against spin on a track that wasn't the easiest, it should have. But Pakistan missed a catch, a review, and Wahab Riaz's form. Head and Khawaja batted for over a session, Paine and Khawaja for around a session and finally Paine and Lyon for half an hour. They withstood appeals, spinning cobras and confusions. But their doggedness stayed. Stay on, the presentations coming up shortly.

17:24 Local Time, | 18:54 IST: Delicious. Australia bat out the longest they ever have in the fourth innings to hang on to this one, by the skin of their teeth. Just a small fistpump from Paine, takes his gloves off and offers his handshake. He's been forced to lead Australia into a new era, and he's eaten up 194 balls in ensuring he does. It was Khawaja, who unleashed his hidden Pakistani avatar, batting as if at home, with no sort of fuss. He'd been accused of not having done his homework around five years ago in Asia by a man who's now in the opposite ranks to watch him having finally done it.

Venu: Great Match... surviving against spin on the 5th day is some unique feat.

Yasir Shah to Paine, no run, he's seen them home. Paine blocks it in style, checks, and forces Pakistan to throw in the towel. Dubai is the Manchester. Khawaja has done a Ponting. And unlike Dominica, Yasir couldn't do a Yasir

Yasir Shah to Paine, no run, survives. Paine squared up, outside halves too, but he's done it very softly to manage to squeeze it between all five of them outside off. Australia need to see out one ball more .. Pakistan would be desperate to bowl another

Five men outside off now. A short point of sorts has been added in.

Yasir Shah to Paine, no run, on middle, Paine covers the line to block

Yasir Shah to Paine, 2 runs, driven, full-faced. Long-off. Australia continue running, but there's time to get the second

Yasir Shah to Paine, 2 runs, an outside half dab to third man. And Lyon for some strange reason wants to stay on strike. Well, well

Seven men around the bat. Four on off, three on leg.

Bilal Asif to Lyon, 2 runs, goes back in the crease, riding the bounce on this shorter one to tuck it behind square leg

Bilal Asif to Lyon, byes, FOUR, oh a waste. Done leg, spinning further down and Sarfraz can't take it cleanly either. Not that it would have mattered anyway

Bilal Asif to Lyon, no run, kicks up off the rough going past Lyon's nudge to deflect off his pad to short leg. Streaky moments these