Younus closes in on Lara record
Wednesday, 25 February 2009
Younus Khan has Brian Lara's Test record score in sight after finishing day four of Pakistan's first Test against Sri Lanka on 306 not out, reports BBC.
With the match destined for a draw, Younus is certain to start day five with Lara's 400 in sight on a batsman-friendly wicket in Karachi.
Pakistan finished on 574-5 after safely passing the follow-on mark of 444.
Younus received support from Misbah-ul-Haq (52) and Faisal Iqbal (57) as Sri Lanka toiled on a flat pitch.
The captain became only the third Pakistani to score a triple Test century and the 20th batsman to surpass the 300-mark.
Hanif Mohammad's 337, set in 1958 against the West Indies in Barbados, remains the highest score by a Pakistani, eight runs ahead of Inzamam-ul-Haq's 329 against New Zealand in 2002.
Younus' mammoth innings has so far taken 12 hours and 11 minutes, 545 deliveries and featured 27 boundaries and four sixes with attractive strokeplay on both sides of the wicket.
The 31-year-old brought up his triple ton with a reverse-sweep off Muttiah Muralitharan for three runs in the final session.
The innings also enabled Younus to become the sixth Pakistani to reach 5000 runs in Test cricket in his 59th match.
And with little to play for on the final day, the 31-year-old - playing his first match since taking over as captain from Shoaib Malik - will aim to become only the second batsman in history to score 400 runs in a Test match.
Lara set his record 400 not out score in 2004 against England in Antigua.
The match was also the first time Test history that both captains have scored more than 200 in a single match.
Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene, who hit 240, and Thilan Samaraweera broke a 52-year-old record at the National Stadium on Sunday, surpassing English duo Peter May and Colin Cowdrey for the highest Test fourth-wicket partnership with a stand of 437.
Younus contributed in a 174-run stand with Misbah, who was the first of the day's two wickets when he was trapped lbw by Dilhara Fernando.
Faisal put on a 130-run stand alongside his captain before he was adjudged leg before to the occasional medium pace of captain Jayawardene.
Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal was 27 not out at the close.
With the match destined for a draw, Younus is certain to start day five with Lara's 400 in sight on a batsman-friendly wicket in Karachi.
Pakistan finished on 574-5 after safely passing the follow-on mark of 444.
Younus received support from Misbah-ul-Haq (52) and Faisal Iqbal (57) as Sri Lanka toiled on a flat pitch.
The captain became only the third Pakistani to score a triple Test century and the 20th batsman to surpass the 300-mark.
Hanif Mohammad's 337, set in 1958 against the West Indies in Barbados, remains the highest score by a Pakistani, eight runs ahead of Inzamam-ul-Haq's 329 against New Zealand in 2002.
Younus' mammoth innings has so far taken 12 hours and 11 minutes, 545 deliveries and featured 27 boundaries and four sixes with attractive strokeplay on both sides of the wicket.
The 31-year-old brought up his triple ton with a reverse-sweep off Muttiah Muralitharan for three runs in the final session.
The innings also enabled Younus to become the sixth Pakistani to reach 5000 runs in Test cricket in his 59th match.
And with little to play for on the final day, the 31-year-old - playing his first match since taking over as captain from Shoaib Malik - will aim to become only the second batsman in history to score 400 runs in a Test match.
Lara set his record 400 not out score in 2004 against England in Antigua.
The match was also the first time Test history that both captains have scored more than 200 in a single match.
Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene, who hit 240, and Thilan Samaraweera broke a 52-year-old record at the National Stadium on Sunday, surpassing English duo Peter May and Colin Cowdrey for the highest Test fourth-wicket partnership with a stand of 437.
Younus contributed in a 174-run stand with Misbah, who was the first of the day's two wickets when he was trapped lbw by Dilhara Fernando.
Faisal put on a 130-run stand alongside his captain before he was adjudged leg before to the occasional medium pace of captain Jayawardene.
Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal was 27 not out at the close.