LEEDS, Aug 6: Pakistan's Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan shredded the record books with a 363-run stand in the third Test against England on Sunday before the home side staged a belated fightback.

Yousuf fell just eight runs of completing the fifth double century of his Test career while Younis was run out for 173 as the touring side, replying to England's first innings of 515, were dismissed for 538 just before the close of the third day.

England, who lead the four-match series 1-0, ended the day 20 runs behind after surviving two overs to get to three without loss in their second innings.

Yousuf, who made 223 against England in Lahore at the end of last year and 202 at Lord's earlier in this series, made the most of Saturday's reprieve when he was dropped on five to serve up a scintillating display of strokeplay.

In all, he scored 112 in boundaries — 25 fours and two sixes — before he was caught off the glove facing Steve Harmison to make it 399 for three.

Younis, who batted for almost seven hours, was run out by a direct throw from Sajid Mahmood. He and Yousuf had come together on Saturday with the score on 36 for two.

That sparked a collapse as three wickets fell for four runs in 10 balls just before tea. Inzamam-ul-Haq was one of those wickets, making 26 before comically falling onto his own stumps while facing left-arm spinner Monty Panesar.

Yousuf and Younis's stand was a Pakistan record against England for any wicket. It was also the highest third-wicket stand against England by any team, overhauling the 338 compiled by Everton Weekes and Frank Worrell for West Indies in Port of Spain in 1953-54.

Panesar was England's best bowler, taking three for 127.

The home team's hopes of pressing for a series-clinching victory quickly evaporated in the morning session, though, as Pakistan added 129 runs without alarm.

Yousuf and Younis deflated, demoralised and then totally dismantled the England attack, at the same time keeping alive the outside possibility of Pakistan amassing a sizeable first-innings lead and pressing for an unlikely victory.

The main feature of the two right-handers' play was some sublime straight driving, although that also underlined the flatness of the Headingley pitch.

The bowlers, however, did not help themselves with a lifeless display. Within the first hour Matthew Hoggard, failing to find any movement in the air or off the pitch, was bowling without any slips. Neither he nor Harmison or Mahmood seemed capable of mixing up their pace or surprising the batsmen with yorkers.

Yousuf provided the first of many batting highlights, guiding a delivery from Harmison to the point boundary to get to 96 and then hooking him for six. It was his 18th Test century and his fifth against his favourite opponents.

Younis took a little longer — four and a quarter hours — to match his team mate and record his 12th Test century.

Soon the records began to tumble and such was the batsmen's domination that there seemed a possibility of them threatening the 451 put on by Bill Ponsford and Don Bradman in 1938, the highest stand of all time recorded against England.

Yousuf, however, suddenly seemed to get bored. Swatting at a Harmison lifter, he was caught behind down the leg side off the glove. He had faced 261 balls.

Inzamam and Younis added 48 before Inzamam called for a sharp single and Younis was run out by a direct throw from Mahmood with the score on 447 for four.

Next ball, Paul Collingwood trapped Faisal Iqbal for a golden duck and Inzamam then provoked the biggest roar of the day with his farcical tumble into his own stumps.

Danish Kaneria, the number 11, scored a career-best 29, the third highest score of the innings.

Scoreboard

ENGLAND (1st Innings) 515 (K.P. Pietersen 135, I.R. Bell 119; Umar Gul 5-123).

PAKISTAN (1st Innings, overnight 202-2):

Salman Butt run out 20

Taufiq Umar c Read b Hoggard 7

Younis Khan run out 173

Mohammad Yousuf c Read b Harmison 192

Inzamam-ul-Haq hit wkt b Panesar 26

Faisal Iqbal lbw b Collingwood 0

Kamran Akmal c Trescothick b Mahmood 20

Mohammad Sami c Harmison b Panesar 19

Shahid Nazir not out 13

Umar Gul c Panesar b Mahmood 7

Danish Kaneria c Trescothick b Panesar 29

EXTRAS (B-1, LB-20, W-5, NB-6) 32

TOTAL (all out, 141.4 overs) 538

FALL OF WKTS: 1-34, 2-36, 3-399, 4-447, 5-447, 6-451, 7-481, 8-489, 9-496.

BOWLING: Hoggard 29-4-93-1 (6nb, 3w); Harmison 30-1-142-1 (2w); Mahmood 24-4-108-2; Panesar 47.4-13-127-3; Pietersen 1-0-14-0; Collingwood 10-1-33-1.

ENGLAND (2nd Innings):

M.E. Trescothick not out 0

A.J. Strauss not out 3

EXTRAS 0

TOTAL (for no wkt, 2 overs) 3

BOWLING (to-date): Mohammad Sami 1-1-0-0; Umar Gul 1-0-3-0.—Agencies

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