1st Test at Lahore
Pakistan tighten grip for early finish
Bureau Report

LAHORE—Mohammad Yousuf just missed a double century to spur Pakistan to a commanding lead against the West Indies on day three of the first cricket Test.
Yousuf’s 192 off 330 balls lifted Pakistan to 485 in its first innings, giving the hosts a 279-run lead, after the West Indies scored just 206.
The West Indies was reeling at 74-3 when bad light – for the third consecutive day – brought an early closure to the day’s play with 20 overs still to be bowled. A total of 44 overs of play have been lost due to poor light over the last three days.
Visiting captain Brian Lara was holding one end up with a defiant 28 while nightwatchman Fidel Edwards was unbeaten on five with the West Indies still 205 runs adrift to make Pakistan bat again.
Paceman Umar Gul (2-39), who took five wickets in the first innings, rocked the West Indies with two big wickets on either side of tea, while Daren Ganga (5) was run out.
Dangerman Chris Gayle (11) edged to wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal but Gul was lucky to win Ramnaresh Sarwan’s (23) lbw decision from the Sri Lankan umpire Asoka de Silva. Television replays showed the ball hit the right-handed batsman high on the thigh pad. Yousuf made the West Indies pay heavily for the three dropped catches in his eight-hour, 21-minute innings which featured 24 boundaries and a straight six off left-arm spinner Dave Mohammed.
He was also lucky not to be given out on 53 when De Silva did not refer a stumping appeal to the television umpire Sunday. Yousuf shared the highest partnership of the innings with wicketkeeper-batsman Akmal (78), adding 148 runs at a good pace before both fell to off-spinner Gayle in the second session.
Akmal, who hit 13 fours in his fourth Test half century, was snapped up by Lara at short midwicket. The skipper also dropped a low catch off Yousuf in the second slip in the second over of the day. Yousuf, who had reprieves on 43, 101 and 114, was finally stumped in Gayle’s next over – this time he was well out of his crease.
The last-wicket pair of Danish Kaneria (23) and Gul (16 not out) frustrated the West Indies bowlers with a rapid 41-run partnership that also saw Dwayne Bravo dropping a routine catch of Kaneria. The West Indies bowlers had another tiring first session on a slow pitch as Pakistan added 131 runs and lost two wickets after resuming at the overnight 265-4.
Fast bowler Jerome Taylor provided the early breakthroughs before Yousuf and Akmal were involved in a century stand and extended the Pakistan lead.
Shoaib Malik (69) took two boundaries off Taylor’s first over before he played a lose shot and was caught at midwicket.
It ended a valuable 139-run partnership off 285 balls in 3 1/4 hours with Malik hitting a six and 10 boundaries in his half century. Taylor struck again when he induced a big edge off Abdul Razzaq’s (5) bat as Pakistan lost two wickets in the first six overs of the day. Taylor was the pick of the West Indies bowlers with 4-115. Mohammed returned 3-98 and Gayle had figures of 2-24.
Like on the second day, Yousuf was unhurried in his approach. He caressed drives through the off side, picked off singles and twos on the leg, and batted with a languid elegance. He struggled first up against an inspired - and desperately luckless - Corey Collymore, survived a sharp chance to second slip, but once Collymore finished his nine-over spell, the pressure eased up and Yousuf did pretty much what he liked.
He danced down the pitch and deposited Dave Mohammed over long-off for six; and when he wanted to show his touch and artistry, he waited on the back foot and, with his wrists, tapped it to the third-man boundary. A double-hundred was there for the taking when Chris Gayle deceived him with a magnificently flighted delivery that drew him forward and then left him stranded.
If Yousuf was the glue that held Pakistan together, then the feisty Akmal was the one who provided the impetus with his stroke-filled 78. When he came in to bat, West Indies had reduced Pakistan from 265 for 4 to 285 for 6. Akmal being the last of the competent batsmen, another wicket then could have put West Indies in a position to restrict the deficit.
However, as has happened so often in the match, the moment West Indies seemed to be fighting back, Pakistan shut them out again. Intent on putting the bowlers on the back foot, Akmal attacked from the outset, driving fluently through the off side, and cutting and pulling with aplomb when the bowlers pitched it short. Fidel Edwards, easily the most lacklustre of the three fast bowlers, was pulled twice for fours in his first over of the day, before being driven through and over the off side when he pitched it up.