AP, Dubai :
Pakistan’s inexperienced spinners left Australia struggling at 59 for 4 on Saturday at stumps on the fourth day of the first Test after Younis Khan smashed a record-breaking century to give his team a formidable lead of 437 runs.
Australia still need 379 more runs to win after losing four wickets for five runs in their second innings in remarkable two overs from Zulfiqar Babar and Yasir Shah on a turning wicket. Australia’s highest ever successful chase is 404 for 3 in 1948 against England at Headingley.
Chris Rogers is undefeated with a nervous 23 and Steven Smith not out on 3. Australia’s lower order batsmen could struggle to see off the remaining 90 overs in the match on a declining wicket.
Left-arm spinner Babar (2 for 22) ignited the collapse when he lured first innings century-maker David Warner (29) into a drive and had him stumped. Four balls later, Alex Doolan (0) played across Babar’s line and was adjudged plumb leg before wicket as Australia slipped to 44 for 2.
Captain Michael Clarke (3) continued his lean form, out leg before to Shah (2 for 8) off a delivery that straightened up and hit the front pad. Nightwatchman Nathan Lyon (0) was also beaten in the air as Shah won another lbw decision to reduce Australia to 49 for 4.
Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq declared at 286 for 2 when Younis reached 103 to go with his first-innings 106 and become Pakistan’s leading century-maker with 26 hundreds. Younis also joined the elite club of six other Pakistan batsmen to score centuries in each innings of a Test after Hanif Mohammad, Javed Miandad, Wajahatullah Wasti, Yasir Hameed, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Yousuf.
Opening batsman Ahmed Shehzad hit a brilliant 131 and featured in a 168-run second-wicket stand with Younis as left-arm spinner Steve O’Keefe (2 for 112) got both the wickets in otherwise lackluster Australian bowling.
With Pakistan searching for a quick declaration, Younis upped his striking rate after he completed his half-century off 102 balls. He went onto the three-figure mark – off 152 balls with six fours and two sixes – with a hard sweep off O’Keefe to square leg boundary.
Shehzad hit 10 fours and four sixes in his nearly five-hour knock before he fell lbw while attempting to reverse sweep O’Keefe.
