Prolific batsman Mohammad Yousuf smashed a record-equalling century Thursday as Pakistan forced a draw in the second cricket Test against a resurgent West Indies.
Yousuf (191) missed the opportunity to score a double century on the final day when the match was called off with Pakistan progressing in its second innings at 461-7 for an overall lead of 227 runs.
Brian Lara smashed a double century Wednesday to lead the West Indies to 591 after Pakistan was restricted to 357 in the first innings.
Yousuf survived a couple of close lbw appeals and was dropped on 108 before settling down in the afternoon sessions and hit 21 boundaries in his 344-ball knock, spanning just over seven hours.
The West Indies fast bowlers shook Pakistan's top order with three wickets in the first session before Yousuf and all-rounder Abdul Razzaq (80) resurrected the home team's hopes of saving the game with run-a-minute, 152-run sixth wicket stand.
``Yousuf and Razzaq played high class cricket and we don't always see such innings in test cricket,'' Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul Haq said. ``We were in a bit of bother at the lunch interval, but I knew as long as Yousuf stays at the wicket, we will save the match.''
Once the ball became worn on a lifeless Multan Cricket Stadium wicket, both batsmen took the game away from the West Indies with some well timed boundaries.
``We worked hard till the end, but the wicket was good for batting even on the fifth day,'' Lara said. ``The wicket was a batting track from day one, the bowlers toiled on it and after 20 to 25 overs there was not much sideways movement for them.''
Shivnarine Chanderpaul took a diving catch at short mid-wicket to end Razzaq's innings late in the third session off legspinner Dave Mohammed (3-101), who also accounted for the wicket of Yousuf. Razzaq's 117-ball innings included eight fours and a six
Yousuf's seventh century in his 10th test this year equalled former West Indian batsman Viv Richards (1976) and Sri Lankan Aravinda de Silva's (1997) world record of most centuries in a year.
Yousuf has so far scored 1,562 test runs in 2006 and with last test of the series starting in Karachi from Monday, he is 148 runs behind Richards' world record of 1,710 runs in 11 test matches in 1976.
Earlier, pacemen Jerome Taylor (2-75) and luckless Corey Collymore both bowled to a teasing line and length with the second new ball and passed the bat a number of times with some sharp deliveries.
The West Indies came close to dismissing Yousuf three times before lunch, but umpires Mark Benson and Daryl Harper turned down two confident lbw appeals by Collymore and Daren Powell. Runako Morton dropped a sharp catch in the second slip as Yousuf attempted a reckless shot off Powell's wide delivery.
``We didn't take the chances presented to us,'' Lara said. ``Catches win matches and (fielding's) something we will have to work on.''
Inzamam (10), who survived a close run out call before he scored a run, struggled for an hour at the crease before Taylor trapped him lbw with the new ball in the 12th over with Pakistan leading by 50 runs.
Shoaib Malik dragged Powell's short delivery back onto his stumps in the second last over before lunch as the West Indies pushed hard to open up Pakistan's tail.
Earlier, Pakistan lost overnight batsman Imran Farhat (76) inside the first hour after it resumed at the overnight score of 213-2 _ trailing by 21 runs.
The home team's lead was just nine runs when Farhat was dropped on 76 by Daren Ganga close to the wicket off Chris Gayle's gentle off-spin.
Two balls later Farhat was brilliantly run out by Shivnarine Chanderpaul fielded the ball with a sharp, diving effort from backward point that caught the left-handed Pakistan opening batsman well short of his crease.
Yousuf, who scored 192 in Pakistan's nine-wicket first test victory at Lahore last week, resumed at the overnight score of 56 and completed his 21st Test century when he pulled Taylor for his 13th boundary of the innings.
© The Canadian Press, 2007
