Azhar Ali – ‘The great wall of Pakistan’

KARACHI: Pakistan cricket's Mr Dependable, Azhar Ali, smashed his way into the record books with a remarkable unbeaten double century on the third day of the second Test against Australia in Melbourne.

Azhar remained not out after scoring 205 off 364 deliveries to post the highest individual score by a Pakistani batsman in Australia.

He surpassed 44 years old record of Majid Khan who had scored 158 runs in 1972 to achieve this feat.

He is the fourth (first in 22 years) from any visiting team player to score a double century at Melbourne Cricket Ground. He was only three runs short of breaking Viv Richards' record of highest individual score by an overseas player at MCG.

Azhar Ali is the fourth Asian player after Sachin Tendulkar, Ravi Shastri and Rahul Dravid to score a double hundred in Australia, and also the 14th player from any team touring Australia to do so.

The score, 205*, is also the third highest by an opener from any visiting team in Australia after 235 by England's Alastair Cook and 206 by Ravi Shastri of India. Overall, Azhar is the fourth overseas opener to score a double ton on Australian soil.

Azhar Ali also became the first Pakistani to score two double hundreds in a calendar year, of which he converted one into a triple hundred. Only 20 players in Test cricket history, before Azhar, have scored two or more double hundreds in a calendar year.

Meanwhile, Sohail Khan smashed four sixes for his run-a-ball 65 to add 118 runs for the 8th wicket with Azhar Ali, Pakistan's best 8th wicket partnership vs Australia, and third best 8th wicket stand against any team.

Four sixes in the innings took Sohail Khan's tally of maximums to 7 in the year, most by any Pakistani batsman in the year 2016. Younis Khan has hit 6, while Misbah-ul-Haq and Azhar Ali have hit 5 sixes apiece in Test matches during the year 2016.