LAHORE, 1 December 2005 — An stylish unbeaten 84 by middle-order batsman Mohammad Yousuf helped Pakistan score 185 for four and get out of serious in reply to England’s first innings total of 288 at close of play on the second day of the first Test here yesterday.
Like the first day poor visibility and fading light forced an early closure with 19 overs still to be bowled. On Tuesday 13 overs were lost due to bad light, which is a routine in winters in this part of the country. But if this situation continues almost a day’s play will be lost during the Test making a decision impossible.
Pakistan was struggling at 12 for two at lunch, having lost Shoaib Malik (0) and Asim Kamal (5) early in the innings. Malik, who had given two good opening starts to his team with Salman Butt in the first and second Tests, was out of sorts here and looked plucky. He was trying to play shots too early and too many and had to the price.
Yousuf played a great innings to partially salvage the situation. He added 54 runs for the third wicket with Butt (28). When Butt was dismissed by debutant Liam Plunkett, to give the fast bowler his first Test wicket, Yousuf extended good support to skipper Inzamam ul-Haq during an unbroken fourth wicket stand.
Yousuf, who was lucky to be dropped on 16 by Andrew Flintoff, held the innings together after the loss of three wickets and the retirement of his captain.
Inzamam retired on 35 after he was hit on the right arm in the first over after tea by a rising delivery of fast bowler Stephen Harmison when the total was 148 for 3. He had added 79 runs for the fourth wicket with Yousuf.
Hasan Raza, who joined Yousuf due to the captain’s injury, was out for 21 just before play ended, caught by Flintoff off Harmison after hitting four boundaries.
Raza, who was dropped from the second Test after a disappointing performance in the first Test, was selected for the final Test because Younis Khan was not available and Shahid Afridi had been banned for one Test and two ODIs.
Shoaib Akhtar, sent as night watchman after the departure of Raza was at the crease when bad light ended play early. Yousuf, who has carried a shoulder problem during the series, survived some anxious moments earlier in the innings before he went to score 84 and take Pakistan to a position of relative safety.
Fast bowler Plunkett, making his debut, took his first Test wicket on the penultimate ball of his second over when he got Butt to edge behind to Geraint Jones.
Earlier, England resumed their first innings at 248 for six. Pakistan got an early breakthrough as Danish Kaneria, opening the Pakistan attack, claimed Shaun Udal’s wicket from the fourth ball of the first over of the day. Udal (10) was brilliantly caught by Asim Kamal, to reduce England to 249 for seven. Paul Collingwood, who had batted so well on the first day, was unlucky to have missed his maiden Test hundred by four runs.
He swept one from Akhtar and Kaneria in the deep held on to the catch. The fast bowler, who had bowled so well in the innings, got just one wicket.
