Younis Khan completed his much-awaited 10,000 runs in Test cricket on Day Three against West Indies. He also brought up his 33rd Test fifty in the process while scoring vital 131 runs with Babar Azam (72) to put Pakistan in commanding position. Pakistan were cruising towards the West Indies total of 286 but Shannon Gabriel got the important wickets of both well-settled batsmen, putting the game back in the hosts’ courtyard. The Day Three turned out to be a hard fought day for both teams but eventually, West Indies would have walked back with head held high with the late strikes. So let’s take a look at some of the highlights from the day’s play that grabbed the attention:
Mohammad Aamer’s career best – Aamer had already taken his five-wicket haul – his fourth of the career on Day two when he got the wicket of Alzarri Joseph. But the youngster who looked all set to get his sixth scalp had to wait for another day as rain played spoilsport. But on the third morning, taking the new ball, Aamer was bang on target. He swung the ball both ways off the seam and it was just a matter of few overs that he finally got his sixth wicket of the innings when he dismissed Shannon Gabriel, cleaning up his woodwork.
Out of the 6 wickets that he took, he cleaned up the stumps 4 times whereas the other two came in the slip cordon. Also, these are Aamer’s best bowling figures – 6 for 44. The previous best were 6 for 84 against England at Lord’s in 2010.
The first run (s) – When Younis came out to bat, his team was in a tight spot having lost both the openers. Pakistan, just 54 runs on the board, were trailing the hosts by 232 runs. Babar took the aggressor’s role and ensured of keeping the scoreboard ticking. Younis, on the other hand, could not get off the mark for around 40 minutes.
He finally got off the mark on the 19th delivery he faced off Devendra Bishoo’s bowling and the rest is history!
But the getting off the mark scenario did not end here. Asad Shafiq, who came in to bat after Babar’s wicket, took 27 deliveries and around 30 minutes to score his first run.
The boundary scarce: West Indies pacers were successful in sending back the Pakistan openers early in the game; and since then, the pacers kept on dominating the game. They kept it simple; bowling wicket-to-wicket and not letting Babar or Younis to open their arms. It was on the third delivery of 18th over from Gabriel that Babar played a delightful boundary down the ground. But that was it, because next boundary or a six came after 14.2 overs when Babar smashed a big six to Bishoo over the midwicket region.
The 10,000th run: Younis is a legend. He went for tea on 9999 runs. When the last session started, he needed just a single to be the first Pakistan batsman to score 10,000 runs. He was on strike in the first over from Roston Chase. The second ball that he faced, he rolled his wrists, sending the ball wide of a diving short fine-leg. He then ran towards the Pakistan dressing room removing his helmet, holding his bat, punching the Pakistan badge on his shirt and finally pumping his fists showing the strength of his muscles!
Shannon Gabriel’s late strikes: Pakistan were walking towards the West Indies total of 286 with ease. Younis and Babar had their eyes set on the game and it seemed like nothing would disturb their concentration. But Jason Holder gave the ball to Gabriel and the impact was immediate – he first got the wicket of Younis who had just completed his 33rd Test fifty and was accelerating his innings. And the on the first delivery of his next over he got rid of Babar who was looking to get to his maiden Test hundred.
These two late strikes brought the game back in West Indies’ court giving the hosts the upper hand at stumps on Day Three.
Brief scores:
Pakistan 201 for 4 (Ahmed Shehzad 31, Babar Azam 72, Younis Khan 58; Shannon Gabriel 2 for 37, Alzarri Joseph 1 for 35, Jason Holder 1 for 40) trail West Indies 286 all out (Roston Chase 63, Shane Dowrich 56, Jason Holder 57*; Mohammad Aamer 6 for 44, Yasir Shah 2 for 91) by 85 runs
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