DUBAI: It’s not for nothing that Younis Khan is described as an old warhorse, as he has a reputation of producing his best in adversity. And he played just such a knock to bail his side out of trouble on the first day of the first Test against Australia at the Dubai International Stadium on Wednesday.
The veteran, who came to the crease with his side in trouble at seven for two after choosing to bat, scored 106 from 223 balls with ten boundaries and a six to guide Pakistan to a respectable 219 for four at the close.
Younis and young partner Azhar Ali, who cracked 53, added 108 for the third wicket in two balls short of 50 overs. Their obdurate display scuttled Australia’s hopes of bowling Pakistan out for a moderate score.
It was Azhar’s 16th Test half-century and Younis’ 25th century. He not only equalled Inzamam-ul-Haq’s record for the highest number of centuries for the country, but also became the first Pakistan player to score centuries against all Test-playing nations. He is the 12th batsman from all countries to achieve the latter feat.
Younis, who was angry at being ignored for the preceding one-day series, let his bat do the talking on Wednesday. The elegance with which he picked the gaps and built his innings was a treat to watch. Unfortunately, despite the Dubai Sports City authorities allowing spectators in for free, only a handful of fans witnessed the spectacle.
The Test got off to a flying start as inform left-arm pacer Mitchell Johnson, bowling at 144km/h, trapped Mohammad Hafeez leg before with an inswinging yorker from the fifth ball. Though it hit Hafeez on the toe in line with all three stumps, he surprisingly wasted a review.
Both the openers were back in the pavilion when Ahmad Shehzad fell to the first ball of the fourth over from Peter Siddle. Trying to play the ball through midwicket, he moved too far across and exposed his leg stump and as bowled for three.
The first boundary of the match came only in the 13th over, close to the first drinks interval, when Younis, after playing 34 balls for one run, hit Johnson to fine leg.
In the 16th over, Younis displayed his immaculate timing when playing a shot between cover and mid-off to a Siddle delivery.
Azhar hit his first boundary after 43 balls, when he hit Steve O’Keefe past point. When spinner Nathan Lyon was introduced in the 22nd over, Azhar swept him elegantly for another boundary.
Luck favoured Azhar on 22, when Chris Rogers at cover failed to hold on to a drive off Johnson.
The partnership blossomed after lunch, but finally Johnson got the breakthrough by having Azhar caught at short cover by Alex Doolan.
In the 80th over of the day, Younis stepped out and hit Lyon over long-on to usher in his century in style.
But Johnson ended Younis’s splendid show by trapping him leg before in the next over. With skipper Misbah-ul-Haq, he had put on 83 runs for the fourth wicket.
Misbah, with an unbeaten 34, and the inform Asad Shafiq on nine were at the crease at the close, with the wicket showing signs of assisting the spinners in the last few overs.
