Rawalpindi (Pakistan) (AFP) - Azhar Ali was five runs away from a century as Pakistan batted at a snail's pace to reach 302-1 at lunch on the second day of the first Test against Australia in Rawalpindi on Saturday.
The veteran batsman was 95 not out while his partner Imam-ul-Haq was unbeaten on 154 as Pakistan added just 57 runs in the two-hour session after resuming at 245-1.
The day began on a sombre note as players from both teams paid tribute with a minute's silence to the legendary Australian spinner Shane Warne, who died of a suspected heart attack in Thailand Friday.
The handful of early-morning spectators in the stands also stood in respect.
Haq was the slowest of the Pakistan pair Saturday morning, adding just six runs in the first hour and not hitting a boundary until the 90th minute.
Haq was lucky to survive a caught-behind appeal on 143 off Lyon the Australians didn't challenge, when replays showed it hit the bat.
Haq has so far batted for eight hours and 25 minutes, hitting 16 boundaries and two sixes.
Azhar, too, kept the Australian attack at bay during his 358-minute knock studded with seven boundaries and a six.
Lyon is the only successful bowler with 1-106 off 37 overs of toil on the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium pitch.
Australia have not toured Pakistan since 1998 for security reasons, and on Friday, at least 62 people were killed in a suicide bomb attack at a Shiite mosque in Peshawar, about 190 kilometres (120 miles) west of Rawalpindi.
