2nd Test: Bangladesh v Pakistan at Chittagong, 16-20 Jan 2002 CricInfo Live Report

2nd Test: Bangladesh v Pakistan at Chittagong, 16-20 Jan 2002
Shahryar Khan

Pakistan 1st innings: Lunch - Day 2, Tea - Day 2, Stumps - Day 2,
Live Reports from previous days

YOUHANA PROPELS PAKISTAN

Pakistan capped a commendable performance today by ending at a strong position at stumps. Its star, Yousuf Youhana, batted with a mixture of caution and aggression, but switched into overdrive in the final session of play.

After tea, Youhana and Rashid Latif were striking boundaries at will, rarely opting for singles or twos. Latif showed his true ability in the Dhaka Test, where he notched up an action-packed 94, ruthlessly punishing the bowlers.

Here, however, left-arm seamer Manjural Islam deprived Latif’s fans of watching his further displays of his talent. He trapped Latif lbw for 15 in a total of 315, with Youhana then on 77.

Youhana struck two fours off Manjurul in the very next over - one lashed through mid-wicket, the other nicely guided through fine leg. Encouraged by his partner’s stroke play, Waqar hit a four off Enamul Haque and a six off Fahim Muntasir in the subsequent over.

Fahim struck back when Waqar attempted a sweep, only to get a top-edge and offer a catch to short cover Mehrab Hossain. With his fall, Pakistan lost their seventh batsman with the score on 339.

Youhana, anticipating that there would not be too much support from then on, decided on to take punitive steps against Muntasir. He thrashed the bowler twice of successive deliveries to the fence and reached his century in Enamul’s over.

Saqlain, well-reputed for his patient batting, hung on to one end, with Youhana scoring steadily from the other. They put on 61 runs for the eighth wicket to help the team cross the 400-run mark. As expected, the majority of those runs flowed from Youhana's blade.

At the close of the second day, Pakistan were well in control of the match on 429 for 7. Youhana was batting on 174 and will be looking forward to his first double century tomorrow. Saqlain was unbeaten on 7. Both Fahim and Mohammed Sharif took 3 wickets each.

YOUNIS KHAN AND YOUHANA TIGHTEN THE SCREWS

Younis Khan and Yousuf Youhana resumed play in fine fettle after lunch, quick to punish the bad deliveries and pushing the scoring along at a fair clip.

Younis got to his fourth Test hundred by slashing Fahim Muntasir through mid-wicket for four. He played 193 balls for his century, striking 17 sparkling boundaries. Both he and Youhana treated Fahim Muntasir with a hint of contempt, collaring the off- spinner for boundaries and sixes at regular intervals.

The run riot ended tamely, however, as Fahim sent Younis back to the pavilion, caught at mid-wicket. Younis went on his knees for a reckless shot to a delivery that bounced unexpectedly. The ball went straight to Mehrab Hossain at mid-wicket. Younis scored 119, with 20 boundaries and off 217 balls.

Youhana himself enjoyed some good fortune in the 79th over when he survived a run-out appeal while looking for a tight single. Getting no response from Abdur Razzaq, he scurried back to his crease seconds before the fielder broke the stumps with a direct hit.

Youhana brought up his fifty by pushing Muntasir to the long-off fielder for a single. He faced 78 balls to get his second successive half-century, hitting 8 fours and a six.

Half an hour after Younis’s dismissal, Mohammad Sharif claimed his third wicket of the innings by clean-bowling Dhaka centurion Razzak for 18, the right-hander played all over a well-directed yorker. The dismissal left Pakistan on 274 for 5.

But the new batsman Rashid Latif showed scany regard for Sharif, striking two dazzling boundaries in Sharif’s very next over.

At tea, Pakistan had amassed 293 for 5, with Youhana batting 59 and Latif on 11.

YOUNIS KHAN APPROACHES ANOTHER TON

Left-hander Taufeeq Umar, restarting his innings on the morning of the second day, departed in just the second over of the session, prodding a Mohammad Sharif out-swinger to Aminul Islam at third slip. Taufeeq, who scored a century on Test debut against the same side, did not add to his overnight score of 47.

With his dismissal, the Bangladeshi pacemen kept stalwarts Younis Khan and Inzamam-ul-Haq under pressure for eight overs. The track was conducive to lateral movement, and the medium-pacers cashed in well, assisted by some fine displays in the field.

Younis Khan reached his fifth Test fifty in style, slamming Manjural Islam through extra cover and long off to the rope. The prodigious Younis revealed more of his talent when the spinners were brought on at both ends, regularly dispatching loose deliveries to the fence and defending solidly otherwise.

The pair put on 67 runs for the third wicket before a lavish Inzamam, after hitting a six off Fahim Muntasir in the first ball of an over, gave Aminul Islam his second catch of the day in the slips. Fahim thus earned his maiden Test wicket with the Pakistan total on 166.

Younis Khan was five short of his hundred at lunch with the total on 184 for 3.