Close - Bangladesh 55 for 3 need another 357 runs to avoid an innings defeat
MULTAN, Pakistan (Reuters)
Defending champions Pakistan have surged towards a crushing victory over Bangladesh, leaving the visitors 357 runs behind at the close of the second day with just seven wickets in hand. Five Pakistani batsmen chalked up centuries as the hosts equalled a 46-year-old Test record on the way to a first-innings total 546 for 3 declared in reply to Bangladesh's 134. Test minnows Bangladesh, batting for a second time with 19 overs remaining in the day, immediately struggled and lost three wickets as they reached 55 by the close. Pakistan skipper Waqar Younis dismissed openers Javed Omar for 4 and Mehrab Hossain for 9, while leg-spinner Danish Kanaria, who claimed 6 for 42 in the first innings, snared Aminul Islam for 18. Omar was out caught at backward square leg by Abdur Razzaq as he flicked the ball off his pads. In Younis's next over, Mehrab edged a ball outside the off stump and wicketkeeper Rashid Latif took a brilliant diving catch. The third wicket fell when the visiting team's most experienced batsman, Aminul Islam, gave a simple catch to substitute Younis Khan at first slip after failing to read a Kanaria delivery. Earlier, the Bangladesh bowlers failed to make any impression as Pakistan's batsmen racked up a mammoth 546 for 3 declared, including their record-equalling five individual centuries. Hundreds were made by Pakistan opener Saeed Anwar (101), debutant Taufeeq Umar (104), Inzamam-ul-Haq (105), Abdur Razzaq (110) and Yousuf Youhana, who reached 102 when Pakistan captain Waqar Younis declared. The last time five batsmen made hundreds in the same Test innings was in 1954-55, when Australia achieved the feat against West Indies in Kingston. Bangladesh captain Naimur Rahman tried seven bowlers, but none could make any impression on the batsmen, who enjoyed themselves on a pitch at a stadium hosting its first Test. The visitors' only moment of joy came in the first hour's play when Umar edged behind to keeper Khalid Mashud off Hasibul Hussain shortly after completing his maiden Test hundred. Umar, whose innings lasted 163 balls and included 15 boundaries, played with grace and confidence to become the eighth Pakistani batsman to score a debut Test century and the first since Younis Khan in 1999-2000 against Sri Lanka at Rawalpindi. The 30-year-old Inzamam hammered his 15th Test hundred and third this year from 162 balls. But for most of the day Pakistani batsmen were on the rampage. Such was their dominance that 288 runs were added for the unbroken fourth wicket. First Inzamam and Youhana added 123, before the former retired due to dehydration, and later on Razzaq and Youhana put on another undefeated 165 runs for the fourth wicket.

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