/ 23 November 2006

Yousuf shines as Pakistan salvage draw

Pakistan’s Mohammad Yousuf missed a double century by nine runs as the second Test against the West Indies ended in a high-scoring draw on Thursday’s final day.

Yousuf made 191, his seventh hundred of the year, putting on 152 runs for the sixth wicket with Abdul Razzaq, who was out for 80, as Pakistan reached 461-7 before play was called off after tea.

Both fell in identical fashion to casual shots in the final session, caught by Shivnarine Chanderpaul at short mid-wicket off left arm spinner Dave Mohammed.

Razzaq hit eight fours and one six in his 117-ball knock for his seventh half century while Yousuf faced 344 balls and hit 21 fours in his 424-minute knock.

Pakistan lead the three-match series 1-0 after a nine-wicket win in the first Test in Lahore.

Pakistan made 357 in their first innings in the drawn Test before skipper Brian Lara scored a magnificent 216 to spearhead a reply of 591.

Yousuf, who was 176 at tea, also missed a double hundred in Lahore by eight runs.

He completed his 21st career century and joined West Indian Viv Richards and Sri Lankan Aravinda de Silva in the elite list of batsmen who have hit seven hundreds in a calendar year.

His 1 562 runs in 10 Tests in the year are second to Richards 1 710 runs in 11 matches in 1976.

Before this year, Yousuf had scored 14 hundreds in seven years of international cricket.

West Indies started the day hoping for an upset win with Pakistan on 212-2, still 21 runs in arrears.

When Imran Farhat (76), Inzamam-ul-Haq (10) and Shoaib Malik (4) fell before lunch there was a faint chance of the visitors being able to chase a reachable total on the flat batting track.

However, Yousuf and Razzaq dented those hopes with their stand. Pakistan led by 227 runs when the match ended. — Reuters