Umar Amin believes Pakistan have enough quality in their batting line-up to make cricketing history against Australia at Lord's.
Pakistan batsman confident of completing record chase
Debutant Umar Amin believes Pakistan have enough quality in their batting line-up to make cricketing history against Australia at Lord's.
Amin and his team-mates must chase down 440 in their second innings to win the first MCC Spirit of Cricket Test match, a feat never achieved in the history of Test cricket.
Australia enjoyed another day of dominance on day three, Simon Katich scoring 83 and Ben Hilfenhaus finishing unbeaten on 56 as the tourists rallied to 334 all out in their second innings.
The highest fourth-innings run-chase was achieved by the West Indies, who scored 418-7 to beat Australia in 2003.
Only four teams have ever scored more than 400 to win a Test match - but Pakistan made a positive start and reached the close on 114-1 with Salman Butt unbeaten on 58 and Azhar Ali on 28.
Very easy
Amin insisted Pakistan have a realistic chance of staging a remarkable Test victory.
"If Salman and Azhar Ali carry on tomorrow the way they have played today, we have a very good chance of winning the game," said Amin.
"In England, whenever the sun comes out the conditions get very easy. When it is overcast, it offers a bit to the bowlers."
As well as the notable contributions from Katich and Hilfenhaus, Aussie gloveman Tim Paine added 47 and number 11 Doug Bollinger struck 21 as 126 runs were added for the last two wickets
Debutant spinner Steve Smith (1-34) took the only Pakistan wicket to fall, that of Imran Farhat (24), and Paine acknowledged that the batting conditions are getting easier.
"It is probably a decent batting wicket now but I think we will create enough chances tomorrow to be in the game and give ourselves a good chance of winning it," said Paine.
"We have got plenty of runs on the board and right up to the last ball of the night (when Hilfenhaus had a good lbw shout against Azhar) we showed we are still going to be creating chances.
"If we bowl well there is enough there to put them under pressure."
