Babar wants Sarfaraz to 'keep shining' after superb ton against New Zealand.

KARACHI -- Pakistan skipper Babar Azam seemed upbeat Friday after the Green Shirts successfully restricted New Zealand from winning the Test series in Karachi.

"Another fantastic inning by Sarfaraz bhai. Keep shining," the skipper wrote on Twitter as the wicket-keeper-batter helped Pakistan draw the match with his magnificent ton.

This was the right-hander's first hundred since 2014 and fourth overall. Ahmed was also named player of the match and series after scoring 335 runs in four innings, with the help of three fifties and a hundred.

During the post-match presentation ceremony, Ahmed said: "I was part of the team for four years and despite not getting chances here I was continuing to play well elsewhere. Wanted an opportunity from Allah Almighty and got it."

'I was very tense in the first Test, but the boys and captain gave me confidence. [Last session today] when 140 runs were left, the management said that you need to keep trying to score when the ball is there to hit."

"But then two wickets fell, and so we changed our style of play. If those two wickets didn't fall then the result could've been something else," the right-hander said.

'It is a fourth-innings century so it is special, probably my best,' he said when asked if it was the best innings of his career.

The 35-year-old also thanked the crowd in Karachi and requested them to visit the stadium for the ODI series as well, which starts on January 9.

'Karachi crowd has always supported me. And always supported the team. Request them to come for the ODIs too,' he concluded.

Pakistan's last pair Naseem Shah and Abrar Ahmed survived 21 balls in fading light while Ahmed hit a fighting century to deprive NZ of a victory, bringing the second Test to a sensational draw.

New Zealand were in sight of a series-clinching victory after dismissing Sarfaraz for a career-best 118 with 39 balls remaining in the match.

But as dusk settled, Naseem scored 15 and Ahmed seven to guide Pakistan to 304-9 in pursuit of a 319-run target when umpires Alex Wharf and Aleem Dar declared the light unfeasible to continue with three overs remaining.

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