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| November 23, 2006 | Thursday | Ziqa'ad 1, 1427 |
Pakistan fight back in Test after Lara’s ninth double hundred
MULTAN, Nov 22: Disciplined batting by Imran Farhat and Mohammad Yousuf brightened Pakistan’s chances of avoiding defeat after the West Indies had obtained a decisive first-innings lead on the fourth day of the second Test at the Multan Cricket Stadium here on Wednesday.
Pakistan, commencing their second innings 234 runs in arrears, went to stumps at 207 for two in 66 overs with Imran (70) and Yousuf (56) still together in an unfinished partnership of 89 in 115 minutes.
Earlier, the West Indies were dismissed for 591 with Brian Lara completing a superbly controlled double century. For Pakistan Danish Kaneria finished with five for 181, the leg-spinner’s 12th five-wicket haul in 42 Tests.
Pakistan were off to an uncertain start in the second innings with both the openers playing and missing on a number of occasions, particularly against a slippery Jerome Taylor. The top order, however, gradually grew in confidence with Imran Farhat, Younis Khan and Yousuf all going pass the half century mark for the second time in this match.
Pakistan, 21 for no loss at lunch, lost Mohammad Hafeez for 18 in the fifth over of the afternoon session after he had been dropped at five by Dave Mohammed. Hafeez never really settled down and looked out of sorts.
Taylor finally nabbed his man when Hafeez went back to a short delivery only to chop it onto the stumps off an inside edge.
Next man in was vice captain Younis Khan who announced his aggressive intentions with a flurry of boundaries off Daren Powell and Taylor and was clearly the senior partner in the 100-run stand with Imran which was realised in quick time.
During his fluent knock of 56, Younis also became the eighth Pakistan batsman to complete 4,000 runs. However, for the third time in this series he needlessly threw his wicket when he when he rocked back to cut slow left-armer Dave Mohammed and edged it to wicket-keeper Ramdin.
The dismissal of Younis immediately after tea was almost followed by that of Imran when Shivnarine Chanderpaul let him off in the covers on a Dwayne Bravo-delivery when the left-hander was 45. That mistake apart, Imran (198 balls, nine fours) applied himself admirably for the team’s cause.
The prolific Mohammad Yousuf launched his innings with two lofted boundaries off spinner Mohammed to become only the third Pakistani to reach 6,000 Test runs after Javed Miandad (8832) and Inzamam-ul-Haq (8529). He, however, survived a close appeal for leg before when he offered no stroke to a full-length delivery from Taylor which swung sharply into him. The West Indian players were clearly flabbergasted by umpire Mark Benson’s decision in favour of the batsman.
Earlier, the West Indies first innings folded up rather quickly with the remaining five batsmen adding just 82 runs to the team’s overnight total of 509-5 on a chilly morning.
Lara, resuming on 196, duly brought up his ninth double century in 130 Tests and now stands just three shy of Sir Donald Bradman’s 12 which the legendary batsman scored during his remarkable 52-Test career for Australia.
The second half of Lara’s unforgettable innings was quite a contrast to his first hundred runs. The legendary left-hander - who at one point was on course for the second quickest century but eventually arrived at the milestone in 77 deliveries - negotiated a further 164 balls and 247 minutes to reach his double hundred as he punched Umar Gul through the cover region for three runs. In all, Lara’s stupendous 262-ball knock, that included 22 fours and seven sixes, spanned 423 minutes and he was seventh out when he danced down the pitch to Kaneria to hole out to Shoaib Malik at the long-on fence.
Denesh Ramdin was first man to go when Shahid Nazir had him caught behind for 11. Dave Mohammed, a useful left-handed batsman in his own right, compounded Pakistan’s misery with a breezy 36 off 46 balls which included a couple of sixes and as many fours before becoming Kaneria’s fifth victim.
Although Kaneria may be pleased to pick his first five-for haul since last year’s Kingston Test, he is definitely conceding a lot of runs for his wickets. On no less than 27 occasions in the last 75 innings, the 25-year-old spinner has gone for 100 or more runs.
Kaneria’s five brought him level with ex-Test paceman Sarfraz Nawaz in seventh spot on the list of highest wicket-takers for Pakistan. Lara’s prized scalp was Kaneria’s 177th.
Abdul Razzaq polished off the West Indian innings with the wickets of Powell and Taylor in four balls, both tailenders falling leg-before to reverse swinging deliveries.
The final day of the Test on Thursday promises engrossing cricket for the spectators. With the second new ball due in 14 overs, it offers the West Indies their only realistic chance of making inroads in the Pakistan line-up since the pitch has nothing in it for the bowlers whatsoever.
With Inzamam-ul-Haq and the all-rounders still to follow, Pakistan’s foremost objective would be to keep their 1-0 advantage in the three-match series intact before teams head to Karachi for the final Test starting on Monday.
Scoreboard
PAKISTAN 1st innings 357 (Imran Farhat 74, Younis Khan 56, Mohammad Yousuf 56; J. Taylor 5-91)
WEST INDIES 1st innings (Overnight 509-5)
C.H Gayle lbw b Kaneria 93
D. Ganga lbw b Kaneria 82
B.C Lara c Malik b Kaneria 216
R.S. Morton lbw b Gul 5
S. Chanderpaul c Razzaq b Nazir 14
D.J. Bravo c Y. Khan b Kaneria 89
D.N. Ramdin c Akmal b Nazir 11
D. Mohammed st Akmal b Kaneria 36
D.B. Powell lbw b Razzaq 9
J.E Taylor lbw b Razzaq 1
C.D Collymore not out 1
EXTRAS: (B-9, LB-18, NB-7) 34
TOTAL: (all out, 167.4 overs) 591
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-162 2-220 3-281 4-302 5-502 6-523 7-563 8-583 9-590
BOWLING: Umar Gul 38-13-96-1(nb-2), Shahid Nazir 29-2-103-2(nb-4)
Danish Kaneria 46-7-181-5(nb-1), Abdul Razzaq 17.4-4-65-2, Mohammad Hafeez 24-2-72-0, Shoaib Malik 13-1-47-0
PAKISTAN 2nd innings
Mohammad Hafeez b Taylor 18
Imran Farhat not out 70
Younis Khan c Ramdin b Mohammed 56
M. Yousuf not out 56
EXTRAS: (B-4, LB-4, NB-2, W-3) 13
TOTAL: (for 2 wkts, 66 overs) 213
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-24 2-124
BOWLING: Taylor 14-1-40-1, Collymore 13-5-30-0(nb-1), Gayle 6-1-30-0 (w-1), Powell 10-3-32-0 (nb-1 w-1), Bravo 10-3-24-0 (w-1), Mohammed 11-4-40-1, Chanderpaul 2-0-9-0.
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