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Jon Holland's five-for caps Australia's 'perfect preparation'

Pakistan A 278 (Abid 85, Aslam 51, Lyon 8-103) and 261 for 7 (Shafiq 69, Abid 52, Holland 5-79) drew with Australia 494 for 4 dec (Mitchell Marsh 162, Shaun Marsh 94, Maqsood 2-66)

Jon Holland added to a slew of impressive individual performances for the Australians in the four-day tour game against Pakistan A, which ended in a tight draw in Dubai on Tuesday. The left-arm spinner took 5 for 79 on the final day, as Australia pushed for a win, after declaring on their overnight score of 494 for 4, with a lead of 216.

However, Pakistan A, led by fifties from Asad Shafiq and Abid Ali survived, despite a flurry of late wickets. They were 261 for 7 in 85 overs when the match ended.

Abdid - who struck his second half-century of the game - and captain Asad Shafiq led Pakistanis' second innings with fifties each. No. 5 Iftikhar Ahmed contributed 45, but Hollad ripped through the middle order. Shafiq was dismissed for 69 off 151 balls when Holland had him caught behind in the 63rd over. Holland bowled unchanged through to stumps, as Pakistan A went from 213 for 3 to 257 for 7.

Holland had also dismissed opener Shan Masood for a 44-ball 41, after the opener had attacked Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon. The opening stand between Masood and Sami Aslam was worth 53, but once it was broken with the wicket of Masood, first-innings half-centurion Aslam, also departed soon, falling to Michael Neser for 12. The two wickets were followed by the highest partnership of the innings, between Abid and Shafiq, who added 84 before Lyon removed Abid.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammed Rizwan and Wahab Riaz saw off 16 balls, helping their side get away with a draw.

"Really great preparation, it's been fantastic," Australia coach Justin Langer said after the match. "We came here a little bit earlier, we have adapted to the heat, we have got some great individual and collective results, I think it has been the perfect preparation so far."

Pakistan A 3rd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st53Shan MasoodSami Aslam
2nd2Abid AliSami Aslam
3rd84Abid AliAsad Shafiq
4th74Asad ShafiqIftikhar Ahmed
5th22Usman SalahuddinIftikhar Ahmed
6th13Iftikhar AhmedSaad Ali
7th9Mohammad RizwanSaad Ali
8th4Wahab RiazMohammad Rizwan