Younis Khan continued his imperious form, hitting a double hundred to pulverise Australia on the second day of the second Test in Abu Dhabi on Friday (October 31).
Younis was unbeaten on 205, his fifth double ton, with Pakistan reaching an imposing 517 for 4 at tea on a flat Sheikh Zayed Stadium pitch. Giving Younis company was Asad Shafiq, who was unbeaten on 1.
Younis hit Glenn Maxwell for a towering six, and in the offspinner’s next over – the 150th of the innings – he took a single to complete 200. He has so far hit 14 boundaries and two sixes during his dominating 344-ball knock.
When on 181, Younis completed 8,000 runs in his 93rd Test, becoming the third Pakistan batsman to reach the milestone behind Javed Miandad (8832) and Inzamam-ul-Haq (8829). In all, only 28 batsmen have scored 8,000 or more Test runs.
Misbah-ul-Haq, the Pakistan captain, also completed his hundred, getting to the landmark in style with a reverse sweep off Maxwell. Misbah fell shortly after for 101 off 168 balls, giving a return catch to Steve Smith to make the score 513 for 4. The skipper had hit 10 boundaries and a six while adding 181 runs with Younis for the fourth wicket, leaving Australia badly dented.
Having already amassed a big first-innings total, Pakistan can now hope to clinch their first series win over Australia since 1994, having won the first Test by 221 runs in Dubai.
The Younis-Misbah stand flourished in the afternoon as the Australian bowlers toiled hard in the morning session to get only the one wicket of Azhar Ali (109). Pakistan added 101 in an extended two-and-a-half hours session due to Friday prayers after resuming at 304 for 2.
Younis added 236 with Ali which erased Pakistan’s previous highest third wicket stand against Australia of 223 held by Javed Miandad and Taslim Arif from a 1980 match in Faisalabad.
Australia had another unusually sloppy day on the field as David Warner failed to hold a sharp chance at point from Younis’s push off Mitchell Johnson in the third over of the day. Younis was then batting on 112. Nine runs later Younis edged a Peter Siddle delivery which fell short of Brad Haddin who hurt his right shoulder in an attempt to hold the catch. Haddin had to walk off the field and Warner, who replaced him behind the stumps, spurned a stumping chance off Nathan Lyon with Younis well out of his crease on 125. But Warner made amends as he took a good catch off Ali’s glance off Mitchell Starc for a consolation wicket.
Younis double adds to Australia woes
