MULTAN, 23 November 2006 — Left handed opener Imran Farhat scored his second half century of the match to take Pakistan to a position of relative safety as the home team, in its second innings, scored 213 for 2 at close of play on the fourth day of the second Test against West Indies here yesterday.
Replying to the visitors’ massive first innings score of 591, Pakistan now need only 21 runs to level the score. With eight wickets in hand and a day’s play left, the match seems to be heading to a draw barring an early morning collapse. Just when it looked like West Indies had taken control of the match at lunch on the fourth day, Farhat, with good and productive support from his vice-captain, Younis Khan (56) and veteran Mohammad Yousuf (56 not out) , managed to take his side out of the woods. After Lara’s cracking double-century, his ninth in Test cricket, West Indies first innings folded at 591 with the last five wickets falling 50 minutes before lunch , adding only 82 runs to the overnight score of 509 for five.
Facing a 234-run deficit, Pakistan chose to smash their way out of trouble with three of their top-order batsmen smashing half-centuries in smart time. Farhat’s stylish 70 (not out) was a good blend of caution in the first part and aggression later. In contrast half-centuries from Younis and Yousuf were carved through sensible batting.
Pakistan’s attempt to stage a comeback and salvage their position however met with an early setback when Jerome Taylor, the sensational young fast bowler, stuck an early blow. Opener Mohammad Hafeez , who had scored a good half century in the first innings, was completely baffled by a speedy in-cutter from Taylor to edge into the safe hands of Danesh Ramdin when Pakistan’ second innings total was 44 and they had a long way to go.
That was a big blow and Farhat, who was joined by Younis, decided to adopt caution while Younis could do the scoring. The two took the score to123 for one when tea was taken. Younis had by the time completed his half-century off 70 balls.
The stylish Younis did not last long and fell to leg-spinner Dave Mohammad after adding just one run to his score soon after tea break. Pakistan were now 124 for two but still way behind the 234-runs lead.
Yousuf, the most prolific scorer of 2006, played a very fluent unbeaten knock of 56 and in the process became the highest score in Test matches in a calendar year.
Earlier, West Indies resumed their first innings at 509 for five, with Lara at 196 and Ramdin at 4.
The pattern of the play in the morning session remained the same as on the first three days when wickets tumbled aplenty. Fast bowler Shahid Nazir drew the first blood, forcing Ramdin to edge to the wicketkeeper, West Indies sixth wicket falling at 523.
Lara did complete his ninth Test double hundred but as luck would have it he was dismissed by the man he had treated so harshly a day before. He misread Danish Kaneria and miscued attempting to hit yet another six only to be caught by Shoaib Malik at long on position. For Kaneria, who also dismissed Dave Mohammad, it was sweet revenge and the leg-spinner was amply rewarded for his resilience, ending with five for 181, his 12th five-wicket haul from 43 Tests.
