PAKISTAN HOLD OFF WEST INDIES

WINDIES REPELLED BY PAKISTANI BATTING (2nd Test Pakistan v West Indies - Day 4)

 

MULTAN, Pakistan - West Indies' push for a series-levelling victory was stalled on Wednesday, after Brian Lara's ninth double-hundred ensured a first innings lead of 234 over Pakistan on day four of the second Test.

 

Pakistan's top-order batted with enterprise and cut the deficit to just 21, as the home team cruised to 213 for two when stumps were drawn at the Multan Cricket Stadium.

 

Imran Farhat, Younis Khan, and Mohammad Yousuf each collected their second half-centuries of the match to frustrate the visitors.

 

Farhat, the flashy 24-year-old left-hander, was unbeaten on 70, and Yousuf again advertised his complete game in a sturdy 56 not out.

 

Younis matched his first innings score of 56 before left-arm spinner Dave Mohammed claimed his first wicket of the match.

 

Fast bowler Jerome Taylor, again the biggest threat, collected the other wicket.

 

In the morning session, Pakistan's bowlers led the fight-back after the carnage of day three.

 

Danish Kaneria, so harshly treated by Lara, eventually claimed the premier batsman on his way to figures of five wickets for 181 runs from 46 overs.

 

The Caribbean men, resuming on 509 for five, lost five wickets for 82 runs in the first session.

 

DOUBLE CENTURY

 

Lara, continuing from 196, collected his double century in the day's fourth over, when he drove his 241st delivery from Umar Gul through the off-side for a triple.

 

Soon afterwards, the West Indies skipper lost overnight partner Denesh Ramdin, who edged a Shahid Nazir out-swinger to the wicketkeeper.

 

Ramdin, never convincing, contributed 11.

 

Lara forged a threatening stand of 40 with the unorthodox, but the hugely effective Mohammed.

 

But Kaneria, brought back after testing spells from Gul and Nazir, earned some measure of revenge with Lara's dismissal.

 

The leg-spinner, spanked for 26 off one over on Tuesday by Lara, claimed the 37-year-old, as he tried to clear the leg-side, but only whipped a catch to wide long-on.

 

Lara hit 22 fours and seven sixes in a majestic knock that lasted seven minutes over seven hours and spanned 262 deliveries.

 

Lara's dismissal left the tail exposed, and though Mohammed slapped two sixes off Kaneria and two other fours in 36, the lead fell short of the 300 that the West Indies captain targetted before play.

 

The 25-year-old Kaneria secured his 12th five-wicket haul in 42 Tests, when Mohammed tried for a third six, missed by a mile, and was stumped.

 

Abdul Razzaq, in danger of being dropped after this Test, provided some reverse swing to end the innings with two clear lbw decisions against Taylor and Daren Powell.

 

Farhat and Hafeez then boosted Pakistan as they safely negotiated 10 overs before lunch to reach 21 without loss.

 

But Taylor struck soon after the interval when he rocked back Hafeez's off-stump, as the right-hander played back to an in-swinger.

 

MOOD DARKENED

 

With Pakistan 24 for one, West Indies were buoyant. Their mood soon darkened with the arrival of Younis Khan, whose confident stroke-play and frantic running between the wickets soon put the pressure back on the visitors.

 

He quickly overtook Farhat and rushed to a half-century off 66 balls with an inside-edged cut to fine leg, a rare false stroke, for his sixth boundary.

 

That boundary also gave him 4,000 Test runs, the eighth Pakistani batsman to that level.

 

The 28-year-old, in his 49th match, and Farhat took Pakistan to tea on 123 for one.

 

Younis departed in the second over after the break, trying to cut Mohammed and giving Ramdin a catch behind.

 

West Indies should have been celebrating again in the next over from Dwayne Bravo, but an airy drive from Farhat was floored by Shivnarine Chanderpaul at short extra cover. It could prove a costly miss.

 

Yousuf, like the man he replaced, quickly asserted himself with a volley of boundaries to take him past 6,000 Test runs, joining his illustrious countrymen Javed Miandad and Inzamam-ul-Haq in reaching that milestone.

 

Farhat eventually grabbed back the spotlight briefly, as he notched his half-century with a trademark cover drive for his sixth boundary midway through the final session.

 

Lara's frustration was evidenced in his use of Chanderpaul's leg-spin for two overs, as Yousuf and Farhat dropped anchor late in the day.

 

Pakistan won the opening Test at Lahore by nine wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the three-Test series.

 

West Indies are chasing their first Test series victory in Pakistan since Clive Lloyd's side earned a 1-0 result 26 years ago.

 

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