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NewsDay

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Khan keeps Pakistan on course

Sport
ZIMBABWE were left battling to stay alive in the match as Younis Khan followed up his double century in last week’s first cricket Test with an unbeaten half century to leave Pakistan with the upper hand

Zimbabwe 294 Pakistan 163/3 (68.0 ov) Pakistan trail by 131 runs with 7 wickets remaining in the 1st innings ZIMBABWE were left battling to stay alive in the match as Younis Khan followed up his double century in last week’s first cricket Test with an unbeaten half century to leave Pakistan with the upper hand as they reached 163 for 3 on the stumps on day two of the second Test at Harare Sports Club yesterday.

DANIEL NHAKANISO

Pakistan, who lead the two-match series 1-0, were still trailing by 131 runs with seven wickets in hand after Zimbabwe had scored 294 runs in their first innings.

Khan, who became Pakistan’s fourth all-time leading run scorer in Test cricket after getting past 7 000 runs yesterday, was unbeaten on 52 runs while skipper Misbah-ul-Haq was on 27 not out after opener Khurram Manzoor had earlier set the platform with an unbeaten 51.

Zimbabwe seamers were unlucky not to have taken more wickets after a seemingly straightforward lbw decision and another caught behind decision were turned down by the umpire.

However, Tinashe Panyangara and Brian Vitori still managed to finish with a wicket apiece, while the other dismissal came off a run-out after Mohammad Hafeez was caught off his crease attempting a quick single while on 22 runs.

Tendai Chatara was the pick of the bowlers although he was unlucky as he finished the day without a wicket.

The Mutare-born rising seamer made it very hard for the Pakistan batsmen to score off him which was vindicated by his bowling figures as his 18 overs only went for 28 runs and included five maidens.

Earlier Zimbabwe’s tail-enders frustrated Pakistan on the second day, stubbornly holding on for more than an hour and almost 20 overs to add 67 more runs to the home side’s overnight total of 237 for eight.

Unlike during the opening day when the wicket was very difficult to play on, the Zimbabwe tail-enders were hardly troubled.

Pakistan seamer Junaid Khan took his fourth wicket of the innings when Prosper Utseya hooked a short ball to deep backward square leg after making a stubborn 22 off 82 balls.

Chatara and Vitori had to work an extra shift with the bat in addition to their bowling commitment.

The pair added 46 runs for the last wicket to take Zimbabwe to a competitive first innings total of 294 before left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman ended the resistance when he trapped Chatara leg before wicket. He finished with three for 47.

Junaid finished the innings with four for 67, but in eight overs yesterday failed to yield any of the finesse he showed on the first day.

Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal, who took 11 wickets in the first Test at the same venue, bowled seven overs yesterday without adding to his single wicket of the first day, which showed Zimbabwe’s bowlers did very well to claim the three scalps they got yesterday.