Younus And Misbah Set New Record To Save Dubai Test

Younus And Misbah Set New Record To Save Dubai Test

Younus Khan finished unbeaten on 131 as he helped Pakistan save the match in Dubai

©REUTERS/Vivek Prakash (SRI LANKA SPORT CRICKET) Picture Supplied by Action Images

South Africa 380 (Smith 100) & 318-2 dec. (Kallis 135no) drew with
Pakistan 248 (Morkel 5-55) & 343-3 (Younus Khan 131no)
First Test, Dubai
Scorecard

Senior batsmen Younus Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq put on an unbroken fourth-wicket stand worth 186 as Pakistan saved the first Test against South Africa in Dubai.

Having been set 451 to win, they slipped to 157 for three when Azhar Ali was dismissed on the final day but Younus's unbeaten 131 and Misbah's unbeaten 76 ensured they held on to draw the game relatively comfortably.

That marked a significant turnaround as South Africa had largely dominated the match but they could only take one wicket on the final day.

They were not helped by poor fielding, as Younus was dropped on 14 and 70 while Misbah, in his first match as Test captain, was also dropped early in his innings.

Ali reached 63 before he was bowled by Paul Harris but that was the only success South Africa were to have as Younus and Misbah compiled a record partnership for any wicket by a Pakistan pair against the Proteas.

Younus's century, brought up with a majestic six off Harris, was only the second by a Pakistani this year, following Salman Butt's ton against Australia in Hobart and it also marked his fourth century in the fourth innings of a Test match, a record he shares with Sunil Gavaskar, Ricky Ponting and Ramnaresh Sarwan but remarkably, he has needed just 19 innings to get there.

Misbah emulated Younus in hitting a six to reach his half-century and shortly after the final hour was called by the umpires, the sets of players shook hands on the draw.

South Africa had engineered what looked to be a winning platform by first securing a first-innings lead courtesy of a century from Graeme Smith and then five wickets from Morne Morkel and unbeaten centuries in their second innings from Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis.

The second Test, in Abu Dhabi, gets underway on 20th November.

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