It had seemed a formality since the end of day three in Sydney that they would wrap up a series win – and so it proved when an innings-and-83-run triumph was confirmed just before noon.
Their success on the final day – as in many of those previous against an outplayed Australia in the 2010/11 series – came on the back of a mountain of runs from Alastair Cook and a supreme bowling collective led by James Anderson.
The series’ leading wicket-taker’s seven in the match took him up to 24 for the campaign, and Cook’s 189 in England’s mammoth 644 all out carried him above all but Wally Hammond among his country’s highest run-scorers in an Ashes series.
But there were several other significant contributors at the SCG, and elsewhere, as Andrew Strauss’ team achieved their long-held ambition – to become the first from England to win the Ashes outright in Australia for 24 years.
Such was their ultimate dominance – three innings victories, against one equally resounding defeat in Perth – that it was tempting to conclude it had all been a little bit more straightforward than expected.
However, captain Strauss said: “It hasn’t felt easy, there’s no doubt about that.
“There is always a feeling you don’t know what is round the corner, what’s going to be sprung on you.
“Thankfully, as the series has gone on, I think we have become more dominant – and certainly those last two Test matches were as well as an England side I’ve played in has performed.”
It remains the last time an England side won the Ashes on Australian soil.
Captain Smith and vice-captain Warner were both handed 12-month suspensions while Bancroft, the batsman who was caught on camera attempting to change the condition of the ball using sandpaper during the third Test against South Africa, was banned for nine months.
Cricket Australia chairman David Peever said: “The CA board understands and shares the anger of fans and the broader Australian community about these events.
“They go to the integrity and reputation of Australian Cricket and Australian sport and the penalties must reflect that.
“These are significant penalties for professional players and the board does not impose them lightly. It is hoped that following a period of suspension, the players will be able to return to playing the game they love and eventually rebuild their careers.”
Smith and Bancroft gave a press conference after the third day’s play where they admitted a premeditated attempt to tamper with the ball.
Smith spoke of a “leadership group” making the decision to tamper with the ball and, in announcing the severe punishments, CA revealed Warner, 31, was charged with devising the plan, instructing a junior player – Bancroft – to carry it out and demonstrating how to do it.
Smith gave a tearful press conference on his return to Australia, saying: “I know I’ll regret this for the rest of my life, I’m absolutely gutted. I hope in time I can earn back respect and forgiveness.
“I’ve been so privileged and honoured to represent my country and captain Australia. Cricket is the greatest game in the world and it’s been my life – I hope it can be again. I’m absolutely devastated.”
Smith and Warner both returned to the Australia side at the Cricket World Cup in 2019, with the former made vice-captain of the Test side in 2021, while Bancroft played for his country again in the Ashes series the same summer.
Stump cameras showed Smith apparently scuffing up Rishabh Pant's guard in between deliveries as the India wicketkeeper struck a brilliant counter-attacking 97 in Sydney, helping the visitors to a draw in the third Test.
Smith was forced to stand down as Australia skipper and served a ban for his part in the 2018 ball tampering scandal.
His successor Tim Paine also found himself at the centre of controversy after a foul-mouthed exchange with Ravichandran Ashwin, which compounded a dreadful display behind the stumps.
Speaking ahead of England's Test series in Sri Lanka, Woakes looked to remain above the fray when it came to Smith - perhaps mindful of having just entered an Ashes year.
"I'm sure people have got their opinions on it. It's not the first time that I've seen something like that happen," he said.
"The fact it's such a big series, a big player in a big moment probably means it's been blown up a little bit.
"There's only one person who knows whether he was doing it to affect the opposition batsman or not and that's Steve himself.
"You can look at it a few different ways. You can say he was shadow batting, doing what he'd normally do and it's a bit of a habit. Or you could say that he was trying to distract Rishabh. It's one of those things."
Asked whether Australia had been shown to be "up to old tricks again", a smiling Woakes replied: "It's hard for me to say, watching from a million miles away, that he was doing it to get into the Indian batsmen's minds.
"Potentially, but as I said, there's only one person who knows exactly what he was trying to do.
"I know Tim Paine came out and backed him as you'd expect him to do. That's all I can say on the matter."
Woakes was forced to quarantine for the first week of England's tour after travelling to the airport with team-mate Moeen Ali, who subsequently tested positive for coronavirus.
Despite establishing himself as an increasingly pivotal member of Joe Root's side, the 31-year-old acknowledges Thursday's first Test might come too soon for him.
"I'm certainly up against it in terms of time," Woakes said, having revealed his fitness regime over the past week amounted to workouts with fit bands and a medicine ball on his hotel balcony.
"I only had my first bowl yesterday. The other guys have been bowling for nearly a week. The chances of me playing are probably quite slim."
Nevertheless, some unexpected rainfall in Galle might persuade Root to call upon Woakes' mastery of seam and swing on a surface still expected to take plenty of turn.
"The pitch, as you'd expect, does look quite dry. But it has rained quite a bit here in the last few days and the pitch earlier this morning was a bit tacky and spikes went into the surface," he added.
"Whether that plays a part, I don't know."
India resumed day five on 98-2 with a victory target of 407 and they appeared to be sliding towards defeat when Nathan Lyon dismissed captain Ajinkya Rahane for four.
However, Rishabh Pant gave the tourists hope of pulling off the upset with a phenomenal knock despite dealing with an elbow injury, benefiting from being put down by Paine off Lyon on three and 56.
Lyon removed Pant three runs shy of his century and after Cheteshwar Pujara (77) fell to Josh Hazlewood, heroic defence from Hanuma Vihari (23 off 161 balls) and Ravichandran Ashwin (39 off 128) after the former tweaked his hamstring saw India over the line.
Paine also spilled Vihari on 15 late in the final session when he dived to his right, with India sitting at 334-5 at stumps to keep the series level at 1-1 ahead of the fourth Test at the Gabba, which begins on Friday.
"I'm bitterly disappointed, I pride myself on my wicketkeeping," said Australia captain Paine.
"I haven't had too many worse days than that today, it's a horrible feeling knowing our fast bowlers and our spinner bowled their hearts out and gave everything to the team.
"I certainly feel I let them down. I have to wear that, but I'll get another crack at it next week so move on.
"We created enough chances to win. I wouldn't say it's deflating, I thought there was a lot of positives out of the game and it was an awesome game of Test cricket.
"India fought bloody hard like we knew they would, clearly we are disappointed not to get a win but thought there were some good signs for us after the Melbourne Test."
Rahane praised Pant for boosting India on a daunting final day and the India skipper is confident the wicketkeeper-batsman will be fit for the fourth Test.
"Yeah, credit to him [Pant]. I mean, we made the strategy, but in the end it's all about that player showing the character," Rahane said.
"It was all about a left-hand-right-hand combination in the middle that worked out really well for us. Credit to him, the way he batted, attacking innings, backed himself really well.
"Rishabh is all right. Injuries, I think, we cannot control. We are just focusing on the Brisbane Test match. [Ravindra] Jadeja, the physios are going to take the call, but apart from that, we have to see how Vihari is feeling. Looking forward to Brisbane now."
Cricket Australia (CA) remains committed to playing the third Test in Sydney, but could move the clash to Melbourne, which will host the second Test, starting Saturday.
A coronavirus outbreak in NSW has led to numerous states closing their borders and putting the third Test, due to start at the SCG on January 7, in some doubt.
Asked about broadcast and events staff heading into a hub, like the players, Paine told reporters on Friday: "If that's what it takes to get the Sydney Test up and going, then whilst it's not ideal I think it's a small sacrifice for everyone to make.
"I know the boys would certainly be excited to have another few people into the hub to talk to, I think we're getting sick of each other.
"If we get a few more people that we can chat to I think it would be good fun. That's a decision they'll have to make. As I've said before, the hub life is not that bad, it's not like we're in jail or anything like that, it's still a pretty good way of living. I don't think any of us complain."
Paine fronted the media on the eve of the Boxing Day Test, after Australia crushed India by eight wickets in the opening Test in Adelaide.
The MCG will be limited to 30,000 fans per day for the second Test following Melbourne's strict lockdown.
"It's going to be different isn't it. Seeing the MCG sometimes with 30,000 you're a bit disappointed when you turn up and I think tomorrow again it's going to have a completely different feel," added Paine.
"Victoria's had harsher lockdowns than most of us, so to have 30,000 people there, if you had have told us that a few months ago I don't think we would have believed you. I think we're just lucky to be playing a Boxing Day Test at the MCG."
The Boxing Day matchup will be the 100th men's Test between Australia and India, just the seventh fixture in the game's history to reach a century of iterations – Australia have won 43 of their previous 99 Tests against India (D27, L28).
Steve Smith (1,431) needs just 69 runs to become the fifth Australia player to reach 1,500 Test runs against India. His batting average of 79.5 from his 22 innings is the highest of any Australian to have logged more than six innings against them.
Australia spinner Nathan Lyon requires nine more wickets to reach 400 in Test cricket – only Shane Warne (708) and Glenn McGrath (563) have taken more for Australia in the men's format.
Burns, 31, has been in dreadful form since the Sheffield Shield season started in October.
The right-hander scored 57 runs in five innings for Queensland before making five runs in four innings for Australia A in tour matches against India.
But with David Warner (adductor) and Will Pucovski (concussion) unavailable, Burns will reportedly play in the first Test starting in Adelaide on Thursday, with Matthew Wade to join him in opening.
Australia captain Paine backed Burns, who averages 38.3 in 21 Tests.
"Speaking to Joe, I don't think he is [lacking confidence], he's been looking forward to this Test match. Obviously, his build up in terms of runs hasn't been great," he told a news conference.
"But again, if you look at the work he's done solely in Test cricket for this team, it's been very good. He averages just over 40 I think in Test cricket.
"If Joe walks out to bat tomorrow, we've got full confidence in him doing the job, there's no doubt about that. Obviously, there's always going to be a lot of noise externally about the first Test and what team we're picking. Internally we've been pretty clear for a while.
"Things have changed a little bit with injury but as I said, I think tomorrow you'll see a pretty similar side walk out that finished the summer last year here in Australia."
Wade will reportedly open alongside Burns, and it would mark the first time he has done so in Test cricket.
Paine said Australia had plenty of options, including Wade – whose Test average if 31.3 in 32 matches.
"He [Wade] is certainly an option to open the batting, no doubt about that," Paine said.
"I think we've got a number of guys who are willing to open the batting, but with 'Wadey' in particular, I think we saw last year against New Zealand in that short-ball stuff he's willing to put his body on the line for the team.
"We know he's as tough as nails and we know he'll do a job no matter where he bats for us. Obviously, we have got a scenario where we could have a different opener.
"As I said, we've had a number of guys in this group put their hand up if that's the best thing for the team, which is a great thing for us as a side."
Captain Joe Root and his deputy Jos Buttler are among the England players who stated they were not ready to commit to the five-match series due to uncertainty over coronavirus restrictions.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is expected to confirm the tour will go ahead following a meeting on Friday, a day after chairman Ian Watmore stepped down.
Australia skipper Paine insisted the Ashes will be starting at The Gabba on December 8 regardless of whether Root decides to travel.
Paine on Friday revealed he has been informed that England will not be hugely depleted.
"I'm hearing a lot of their players will commit," the wicketkeeper told SEN Radio.
"There might be one or two that don't, but I think we'll see a really strong England side come out here."
Australia's prime minister Scott Morrison last month warned England will not benefit from any "special deals" regarding quarantine rules when they arrive in the country.
Paine says he has spoken to the prime minister as Australia wait for confirmation that England will make the long journey to try to regain the urn.
"He was keen to find out what the sticking points might be from a player's perspective," said Paine of his conversations with Morrison.
"I shared a few text messages with him. He loves his cricket."
Paine resigned as Australia's skipper in the longest format last week due to the emergence of a lewd text exchange with a former Cricket Tasmania colleague back in 2017.
At the time, Paine was found not to have breached Cricket Australia's code of conduct and remained as Test captain, having taken up the position in 2018 following Steve Smith's demotion in light of the sandpaper ball-tampering scandal.
Paine will remain involved with the Australia squad, having been named in the selection to face England, though a new captain is yet to be announced.
Tasmania chairman Andrew Gaggin hit out at CA's treatment of Paine and while Harris revealed the Australia squad were shocked, he says there is full belief that Paine will play a key role in their attempts to retain the Ashes.
"People were obviously a bit shocked but we've got a lot of good leaders around our group," Harris told reporters.
"It's not ideal but someone's going to have to step up and lead from the front.
"Painey will still be around and can still show leadership in many different ways but we're looking forward to getting into camp and getting on with it.
"I think you'd probably still argue that he's still the best gloveman in the country.
"I know he's got all the support of the players and like I said, all that other stuff is up to people above me."
Warner is set to return from an adductor injury when the third Test begins in Sydney on Thursday, and Will Pucovski appears set to make his international debut.
Australia captain Paine confirmed on Wednesday a team had been picked – but he would not publicly name it just yet.
"We've got a team, we're just not releasing it at the moment," he told a news conference.
"The boys are still training at the moment so we'll get through that first unscathed and then we'll try and get a team out as quickly as we can after that.
"Obviously with David playing and potentially more, there's some conversation that need to be had first."
Paine confirmed Pucovski would open if he played, with Joe Burns already omitted from the squad.
That is likely to see Matthew Wade return to the middle-order and Travis Head potentially dropped.
In October and November last year, Pucovski became the first player to score double centuries in consecutive Sheffield Shield innings since Dene Hills in 1997-98.
Paine praised Warner, whose absence has been felt as Australia struggled with the bat in the opening two Tests.
"Davey's been awesome, brings really high intensity, fills guys with confidence around him," he said.
"He's a player that you love having on your side, he's always got plenty to say, really energetic, very professional and I've always loved playing with him and I know he's a player in this team that guys love to have in our side.
"He's made an instant impact with that energy and intensity that he brings.
"Will's been fantastic as well. He's been out of the bubble for a couple of weeks so he's excited, he's fresh, he's been batting really well in the nets and looks ready to go if he was called upon."
Paine is yet to return to competitive cricket after neck surgery in September but leads an Australia team looking to win the Ashes after retaining the urn with a 2-2 series draw in England in 2019.
Khawaja, who turns 35 next month, earns a recall after strong Sheffield Shield form with two centuries in four matches, having not played the longest format of cricket since the third Ashes Test in 2019.
Victorian left-hander Marcus Harris appears set to open the batting alongside David Warner, with Will Pucovski absent due to another concussion, while Travis Head and Khawaja will battle to take the number five role.
Head was dropped in Australia's last Test series against India in January.
The first Test takes place at the Gabba in Brisbane from December 8, followed by the day-night Test at Adelaide Oval from December 16.
National selection panel chair George Bailey said: "Marcus has been a consistent run scorer domestically and had a strong winter further developing his game with Leicestershire. He is a good player who will be looking to build a strong partnership with David Warner at the top of the order.
"Travis finished last summer strongly, second only to Cameron Green for runs scored, and has again started the season well. He drives the game forward and can put the opposition under pressure with his ability to score quickly.
"Similarly, Usman Khawaja has been in great touch. He brings a calm, consistent and experienced component to the batting line up and is a proven run scorer at Test level. He also has the ability to bat across a range of positions in the batting order."
Jhye Richardson and Michael Neser are included as fast bowling depth, although the latter recently sustained a minor hamstring strain playing for Queensland in the Sheffield Shield.
"Jhye is seeing the rewards of concentrating on his red ball cricket in the build up to this series. We know he has an exceptional skill set and are excited about what he brings to the team now his body is back on track," Bailey said.
Australia Test squad: Tim Paine (c), Pat Cummins (vc), Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Marcus Harris, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner
The 36-year-old wicketkeeper made the stunning announcement at a brief press conference on Friday, although he clarified he intends to remain available for selection.
Paine had taken over as Australian skipper from Steve Smith in the wake of the sandpaper scandal during the South Africa Test tour in 2018.
The Tasmanian, who is married with two children, revealed the decision was based on an explicit text exchange with a female former Cricket Tasmania colleague from 2017.
The incident was investigated at the time and Paine had been cleared of breaching Cricket Australia's Code of Conduct but he had recently learned the exchange was set to be made public and subsequently opted to stand down.
"It's an incredibly difficult decision but the right one for me, my family and cricket," Paine said.
"On reflection my actions in 2017 do not meet the standards of an Australian cricket captain or the wider community. I'm deeply sorry for the hurt and pain that I have caused for my wife, my family and the other party.
"I'm sorry for any damage that this does to the reputation of our sport and I believe it's the right decision for me to stand own as captain effectively immediately. I do not want this to become an unwelcome distraction to the team ahead of a huge Ashes series."
Paine became particularly emotional when discussing his role as Test captain, which he described as the "greatest privilege" of his playing career, having led the side which retained the Ashes in England in 2019.
"I've loved my role as captain of the Australian cricket team," he said. "It's been the greatest privilege of my sporting life to lead the Australian men's team.
"I'm grateful for the support of my teammates and proud of what we've been able to achieve together. To them I ask for understanding and forgiveness. To Australian cricket fans, I'm deeply sorry my past behaviour has impacted our game on the eve of the Ashes.
"I've been blessed with a wonderful loving supportive family and it's breaks my heart to know how much I've let them down. They've always stood by me and been my most loyal fans. I'm indebted to them for their support.
"I will remain a committed member of the Australian cricket team and look forward with anticipation for what is a huge Ashes tour."
Paine had earlier this week been included in Australia's 15-man squad for the first two Ashes Tests despite neck surgery in September.
Fast bowler Pat Cummins had been named in that squad as vice-captain, while Smith may be considered to step in as captain having served his penance for his 2018 indiscretion.
The First Test against England is due to commence at the Gabba in Brisbane on December 8.
India completed an eight-wicket victory over Australia in Melbourne on Tuesday to level the four-Test series at 1-1.
No Australia batsman managed to score a half-century in the second Test as they were bowled out for 195 and 200 at the MCG.
Joe Burns and Travis Head are under the most pressure to keep their spots, but Paine does not believe changes are the answer.
"No, not necessarily," Paine told a news conference when asked if changes were needed.
"I just think you need to bat better, doesn't matter who's out there. We need to be scoring runs, that's our job as the top seven of the Australian cricket team.
"If you're not, obviously they'll look for other people. I think we've got the best people here at the moment, we just haven't been good enough to get the job done."
David Warner could return from an adductor injury in the third Test, while Will Pucovski may make his debut after his fine form in the Sheffield Shield.
Steve Smith, meanwhile, has scored just 10 runs in the opening two Tests as he tries to find form.
Paine felt Australia's batting and fielding were particularly costly in Melbourne.
"I think that was one of the factors [not enough runs], I think dropping a number of catches probably didn't help," he said.
"Just a bit of a sloppy performance I think in the field and just not enough runs again."
The third Test is due to start in Sydney on January 7, although whether that goes ahead as scheduled remains unclear amid a coronavirus outbreak in New South Wales.
The 36-year-old stepped down from his role as Australia's Test captain last week over an historical investigation into lewd texts sent to a former Cricket Tasmania colleague in 2017.
Paine received the full backing of his team-mates and was still in Australia's Ashes squad to face England, with the first Test scheduled to begin on December 8.
However, Paine has pulled out of Tasmania's one-day match against Western Australia on Friday and is now expected to be out of contention for the Ashes series.
A statement released by Cricket Tasmania on Friday read: "Following discussions over the last 24 hours, Tim Paine has advised Cricket Tasmania that he will be taking a leave of absence from all forms of cricket for the foreseeable future.
"Tim's decision makes him unavailable for selection for today's Marsh One-Day Cup match against Western Australia. His place in the squad will be taken by Charlie Wakim.
"Cricket Tasmania will continue to support Tim and his family both professionally and personally over the summer."
Paine's manager James Henderson added in a Twitter post that he is worried about the veteran wicketkeeper's mental state, as well as his wife Bonnie after details of the scandal became public a week ago.
"Confirming that @tdpaine36 is stepping away from cricket for an indefinite mental health break," Henderson posted.
"We are extremely concerned for his and Bonnie's well-being and will be making no further comment at this time."
Paine underwent neck surgery in September before returning to action for Tasmania's second XI against South Australia earlier this week.
Pat Cummins and Steve Smith have reportedly been interviewed by Cricket Australia (CA) amid ongoing speculation the pair will step in as captain and vice-captain respectively.
Root this week stated that he is "desperate" to do battle with fierce rivals Australia, but the England captain is not ready to commit to the tour until there is more clarity over coronavirus restrictions.
Jos Buttler is among the other England players who have made it clear they may pull out if their families are not allowed to head to Australia.
Talks between Cricket Australia and the England and Wales Cricket Board over what protocols may be in place are ongoing, with players having already spent long periods in bio-secure bubbles at home and overseas.
Skipper Paine says he will lead his side out at The Gabba on December 8 come what may.
"The Ashes are going ahead - the first Test is on December 8 whether Joe's here or not," the wicketkeeper told SEN Hobart.
"They all want to come, there's no doubt about it.
"They're trying to get themselves the best possible conditions they can, but at the end of the day, we all are.
"It will be worked out above us and then they'll make a decision whether or not they'll get on that plane. There will be a squad of England players coming here for the first Test on December 8th."
Australia prime minister Scott Morrison last month warned England will not benefit from any "special deals" regarding quarantine rules when they arrive in the country.
Rod Marsh, a great of the Australian game, passed away at the age of 74 on Friday. The former wicketkeeper played 96 Tests for his country and famously teamed up for 95 dismissals with paceman Dennis Lillee.
Both teams observed a minute's silence in tribute to Marsh before the start of play in Rawalpindi, but Pakistan went on to impress in their first home Test against Australia in 24 years, with Imam-ul-Haq's unbeaten 132 from 271 balls leading the way.
Pakistan captain Babar Azam promised the tourists – who top the ICC Test Championship rankings after their Ashes thrashing of England – a stern challenge and so it turned out, with the hosts, who won the toss and elected to bat, reaching 245-1 at stumps.
Openers Abdullah Shafique (44) and Imam put on a 100 partnership in the first session, though Australia got a timely wicket when the former clipped to visiting skipper Pat Cummins off Nathan Lyon's bowling just before lunch.
Yet any Australian confidence was chipped away as the day wore on and Imam's maiden Test century arrived when the 26-year-old sent a Mitchell Starc delivery through the covers for four, with Azhar (64) moving to a 35th half-century in the longest format soon after.
Australia took the new ball with Pakistan on 235-1 from 82 overs, yet there was no late slip-up from the batsmen.
Imam marks his comeback in style
Imam had not featured in a Test for Pakistan since doing so against Australia in December 2019, when he scored two and then got out for a duck in a heavy defeat in Adelaide.
Yet the opener was sensational this time out, with his tally including 15 fours and two sixes, and he will go into day two looking to build on a fantastic first Test ton.
To make matters worse for Australia, Pakistan have Babar to come in next. He has scored two centuries and a half-century in his four Tests at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, where he averages 110 in the longest format.
Reliance on Lyon backfires
The onus was on Lyon to make the difference for Australia, given he was the sole full-time spinner selected for this Test, and that decision might prove a costly one.
Lyon was hit for 87 for his one wicket, and though Marnus Labuschagne (17-0), Steve Smith (5-0) and even Travis Head (13-0) were given a go, none could make the desired impact.
Australia opener Usman Khawaja delivered another classy century on Thursday, remarkably his fourth of the calendar year, as Australia posted 227-3 declared to set Pakistan a target of 351 for victory in the third and final Test.
The tourists would have wanted to make inroads into their opponents' top order before the close, but instead Pakistan reached 73 without loss from the 27 overs they faced after Australia's post-tea declaration.
It means Pakistan require a further 278 runs for victory and Australia need 10 wickets on day five at the Gaddafi Stadium, where something surely has to give.
Australia's men are unbeaten in their last seven Tests (W4 D3), and Pakistan have not lost any of their last five (W3 D2).
The Australians have been beaten only once by Pakistan in the last nine Tests between the sides, yet Pakistan have just a single defeat in their last 12 Tests at this ground, and that was against Sri Lanka all the way back in March 2002.
After draws in Rawalpindi and Karachi, this match looks ripe to produce a victory for one of the teams, but it could easily go either way.
Australia were 11-0 at the start of play and reached 96 without any loss when Shaheen Shah Afridi bowled David Warner for 51 with a sensationally good delivery. Khawaja kept going and anchored the innings with 104 not out, Marnus Labuschagne weighing in with 36 and Steve Smith passing 8,000 career Test runs in making 17.
Captain Pat Cummins declared early in the late-afternoon session, once the lead passed 350, but Abdullah Shafique (27 not out) and Imam-ul-Haq (42 not out) helped Pakistan to the close without any damage.
Shafique used up a life moments before the close when he edged spinner Labuschagne past the left hand of Smith at first slip, potentially a highly costly miss by the fielder.
Khawaja does it again
Khawaja, who was born in Pakistan, did not play a Test between matches against England in August 2019 and January of this year. It is testament to Australia's resources that they could afford to leave out a batter of his quality. The 35-year-old made 91 in the first innings of this match and surpassed that second time around.
He now has 751 runs in five Tests this year, far and away the most of anyone in Tests. Shafique is second on that list, with 397 runs and counting.
Record for Smith, but dropped catch sours his day
Australia would have ended the day on a high if Smith had clung on to the sharp chance from the penultimate delivery of the day. Shafique drove aggressively at Labuschagne, who drew the edge but saw the ball race away to the boundary rather than stick in Smith's claw.
Smith earlier reached his runs landmark in his 151st Test innings, the fewest of any batsman to have reached 8,000 Test runs.
Australia were all out for 459 in reply to Pakistan's 476-4 in the morning session on day five, Nauman Ali taking career-best figures of 6-107.
The tourists were then made to toil again on a placid pitch at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, where Pakistan were 252-0 when the two sides shook hands.
Imam (110 not out) had not reached three figures in a Test before he was recalled for this match, but the left-hander helped himself to one in each innings with a controlled knock.
It was also a special day for the elegant Shafique (136no), who cashed in on such batting-friendly conditions to score his first hundred in only his third Test.
Australia added only 10 runs after resuming on 449-7 with the game drifting towards a draw, Nauman striking twice and Shaheen Shah Afridi seeing the back of Mitchell Starc.
Pakistan's openers were licking their lips as they walked to the middle and duly piled on the runs, putting 76 on before taking lunch.
They continued in serene fashion in the afternoon session, moving to 191 without loss with Shafique on 99 at tea before tucking Cameron Green off his pads for a single for his hundred.
Imam would have been out caught by Marnus Labuschagne at short leg for 94 off Nathan Lyon if Pat Cummins had reviewed for a catch and he capitalised on that stroke of luck, launching Travis Head over the top for two to reach his century.
The game was brought to an end after an over from Usman Khawaja and the two sides will head to Karachi for a second Test that starts on Saturday.
Imam and Shafique forge a formidable stand
The Australia bowlers will already have seen more than enough of Imam and Shafique five days into the three-match series.
Imam crafted a brilliant 157 in the first innings and became only the 10th Pakistan player to score a hundred in both knocks, making up for lost time in a manner in which he could only have dreamed of.
Shafique will feel he had missed out when he was dismissed for 44 in the first innings, but he made the most of a flat surface on the final day, hitting 15 fours and a six. Imam cleared the rope twice and struck seven fours.
The joy of six for Nauman
Only one player has taken more wickets in a men's Test innings at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium than Nauman Ali's haul of six, that man being Mohammad Zahid (7-66) against New Zealand in November 1996.
The left-arm spinner saw the back of Australia captain Cummins and finished Australia's innings by trapping Nathan Lyon leg before after Afridi pinned Starc in front.
Afridi claimed 2-88, with Sajid Khan and Naseem Shah having taken the other wickets.
A remarkable collapse from one side or the other is now required on Tuesday to deliver a winner, with the batsmen continuing to dominate in the opener of a three-match series.
Australia resumed 205 back on Pakistan's first innings' 476-4 declared and steadily closed that gap over the course of the day.
Steve Smith spent much of Monday at the crease, albeit he added only 54 more runs to reach 78 from 196 balls.
Indeed, Australia seemed happy to wear out the Pakistan bowlers ahead of a second Test that is likely to have a greater say in the outcome of the series, largely limiting their errors having had eight wickets in hand in their first innings at the start of play.
Marnus Labuschagne (90) put on 108 for the third wicket with Smith but was denied a third Test century against Pakistan by excellent bowling and equally good fielding, caught at slip by Abdullah Shafique off Shaheen Shah Afridi.
Travis Head did not last long in Labuschagne's place, but Cameron Green stuck around and picked up the pace slightly after tea before paying the price for his ambition with a top edge off an attempted sweep to go for 48.
Smith gloved behind attempting a similar shot and Naseem Shah beautifully bowled Alex Carey (19), yet Pakistan's improved bowling late in the day failed to breathe life into the Test.
Green leaves runs out there
Labuschagne was undone by excellent play from Pakistan, but Green really had only himself to blame, getting too much on his shot from a relatively uncomplicated Nauman Ali delivery and giving Iftikhar Ahmed a simple catch.
As the bowlers toiled on a tough pitch, this was an opportunity missed for Green, who with a little more care could have followed his first fifty in his previous Test against England with a first outside of Australia.
Little to separate sides again
Australia have been away from Pakistan for over 23 years, but you would not know it looking at the outcome of this match. Ten of the previous 17 Tests between the sides in Pakistan have ended in draws – and this match will surely make it 11 in 18.
Cricket Australia (CA) this month withdrew from a scheduled ODI series against Afghanistan, which was due to take place in March, because of the Taliban's treatment of women.
CA announced it was opting out of the series following consultation with relevant stakeholders, including the Australian government.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) described that decision as "an unfortunate attempt to enter the realm of politics and politicise the sport", accusing CA of "prioritising political interests over the principles of fair play and sportsmanship".
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Najam Sethi on Monday vowed that Babar Azam's side will be taking on Afghanistan in what will now be a Twenty20 International series rather than ODIs at an offshore venue.
Asked about the PCB stance on the reasons for Australia's withdrawal, he said: "That is not our business and we don't like to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries.
"My personal stance is that politics and cricket shouldn't be mixed up, so following that principle the series is subject to pending approvals from the Pakistan government and I think approvals will be granted."
Sethi explained why the matches will be 20 overs per side rather than 50, with both teams already assured of a place in the World Cup this year.
He added: "I met with the executive members of Afghanistan Cricket Board and they were asking us to play an [ODI] series, but we didn't find any attraction playing the series.
"It's mainly because the series was meant for the [Super League] points, and now no matter who wins it won't make a difference. So we agreed to play a series of three T20Is in Sharjah just after the PSL [Pakistan Super League], subject to government approval.
"We will share 50 per cent of the revenue from the series equally and we will jointly outsource the production."
Australia and Pakistan are currently tussling in a three-match Test series, which is level at 0-0 after two matches, with three ODI clashes and a T20I scheduled to follow.
However, the two respective cricket boards have agreed to relocate the white-ball fixtures to Lahore due to planned political rallies close to Rawalpindi in the neighbouring capital Islamabad.
The opposition to Prime Minister Imran Khan, a former cricket star, recently submitted a vote of no-confidence in the National Assembly.
The government and opposition have both planned political gatherings in response later in March, with Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) announcing they will bring one million people to Islamabad's D-Chowk square.
That led to suggestions from Pakistan interior minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Friday to move the white-ball matches, with the square less than two kilometres from both team hotels for the series.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have now followed suit and confirmed the fixtures will be moved to their cricketing headquarters, Lahore, and the dates for the games will not change.
Both teams will remain in Rawalpindi to play out the deciding Test, which starts on Monday, before relocating for the first ODI that takes place on March 29.
