Mohammad Yousuf just missed a double century Monday to spur Pakistan into a commanding lead against the West Indies on Day 3 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.
``We need to apply ourselves and put runs on the board tomorrow,'' West Indies coach Bennett King said. ``That's the only way we can put the pressure back on Pakistan.''
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.
``It was a good experience to bat in the company of senior batsman like Yousuf,'' Akmal said. ``We lost two quick wickets in the morning session and we needed to build a partnership to extend our lead. Thankfully we managed to do that.''
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.
© The Canadian Press, 2007
