Yousuf salvages honourable draw

MULTAN—Muhammad Yousuf missed his fifth double hundred by nine runs but his 191-run patient innings sailed Pakistan to a draw against West Indies thwarting visitors’ hopes for a series-levelling victory in the second test at Multan.
Windies piled up 591 in reply to Pakistan’s 357 and bowled on an accurate line in the second Pakistan innings but fielders dropped a few catches, one of them of Yousuf at the crucial moments of the game, keeping the visitors away from what they wanted. Darren Ganga dropped Farhat off Gayle in the first session, Morton dropped Muhammad Yousuf off Darren Powell at second slip position soon after Yousuf completed his century while Dav also dropped a catch from Razzaq.
Muhammad Yousuf who hit 56 in the first and 191 in the second innings secured second spot in the cricket world after Sir Viv Richards for scoring most runs in a year. Muhammad Yousuf scored well over 1550 runs in 10 tests of the year while Sir Viv Richards possess a record of scoring 1710 runs in eleven tests. Ricky Ponting with 1544 runs in fifteen tests was positioned at number three. Yousuf still has one more test to go after Viv Richards record. He became the third batsman after Sir Viv Richards and Arvinda De Silva to score seven centuries in a year.
It was Yousuf’s 21rst test century and fifth against the West Indies. He hit 22 boundaries in his 191 off 344 balls. Abdur Razzaq hit his 7th fifty, 80 off 117 balls with eight boundaries and one Six and together with Yousuf he built a valuable 152-run 6th wicket partnership at a crucial point of the game when Pakistan was struggling at 306/5 after departure of Imran Farhat, Inzamamul Haq and Shoaib Malik. Earlier, West Indian bowling attack put Pakistan in troubles at 306/5 by claiming three more wickets in the first session of the day. Facing a deficit of 21 runs, Muhammad Yousuf and Imran Farhat resumed Pakistan innings from overnight total of 213/2. However, hosts had to face the first loss in the 12th over of the day when Imran guided a delivery by Gayle to point position and ran for run. Amidst confusion Imran tried to go back to the crease but by that time wicket keeper had taken the bails off thanks to an accurate throw by Chanderpaul.
Inzamam then joined Muhammad Yousuf. Yousuf completed his century by hitting Taylor for a boundary. He along with Inzamam added another 41 to the total elevating it to 284. However, atthis point, Pakistan suffered the severe blow when Jerome Taylor got Inzamam pinned before the stumps. Inzamam scored 10 off 38 balls.
Shoaib Malik also failed to stay for long and was bowled by Darren Powell moments before lunch-break when Pakistan total reached 306. Shoaib took the delivery on the full blade of his bat, however, the ball hit the stumps taking off bails after one bounce. He scored four runs off 30 balls.
Razzaq, who joined Yusuf moments before lunch, went on to build a 109-run sixth wicket partnership with Yousuf till tea-break and elevated it to 152-run partnership in the last session of the game before Razzaq was trapped by Dav Muhammad.
Chanderpaul took Razzaq’s catch at long on position when Pakistan total reached 458. However, by that time Pakistan had come out of the troubled water. Later, Muhammad Yousuf gave an easy catch to Chanderpaul of Dav Muhammad and with his departure official declared the match as drawn some overs before the scheduled close of play.
Pakistan cricket captain Inzamamul Haq promises he will be in form befitting his potential in the forthcoming Karachi test against West Indies beginning from November 27.
Inzamam scored zero in Lahore test that Pakistan won by nine wickets and 31 and 10 at Multan test that ended in a draw on Thursday. “I will try to play a better innings in the last test of the series at Karachi”, Inzamam told newsmen in a post-match press conference.
Inzamam admitted there a moment of worry in Multan test when he was out, 284/4, at individual score of 10 at a time when Pakistan lead was only 50. —Agencies