Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq equalled Viv Richards’s record for the fastest century in Test cricket yesterday as his side set Australia a difficult 603 to win the second Test.

Misbah-ul-Haq and Azhar Ali each recorded their second century of the match — following Australian brothers Ian and Greg Chappell, against New Zealand in 1974, as the only pairs of batsmen from the same team to have achieved the feat — in a second innings of 293 for three declared.

And Misbah-ul-Haq’s 11th four, to go with five sixes, saw him reach three figures in 56 balls and emulate Richards’s effort against England in the 1986 Antigua Test.

Along the way, he also broke Jacques Kallis’s record for the fastest half-century as he got there in 21 balls — three quicker than the South African’s effort in a two-day win over Zimbabwe in Cape Town in 2005.

A single off the next ball got Azhar on strike for the chance to follow him to a hundred — which he immediately did, with a single from his 174th ball, for their joint moment of history.

And Misbah-ul-Haq immediately declared with a lead of 602, leaving the “hosts” a scheduled 138 overs to bowl their opponents out in Abu Dhabi.

Australia, in reply, closed 459 runs behind on 143 for four after three early wickets from Zulfiqar Babar.