Dubai:
Pakistan took a huge step towards victory in the first Test by taking four key Australian wickets after hundreds from Younis Khan and Ahmed Shehzad put them in the driving seat in Dubai on Saturday.
After setting an imposing 438-run target, Pakistan rattled the Australians through a brace of wickets apiece from spinners Zulfiqar Babar and Yasir Shah to leave Australia tottering on 59-4 at stumps on the fourth day, needing six wickets for a 1-0 lead in the two-Test series.
Chris Rogers (23) and Steven Smith (three) were at the crease as Australia need another 379 for an unlikely win. Australia’s best chase to win a Test was way back in 1948 when they made 404-3 against England at Headingley while their best chase against Pakistan was 369-6 at Hobart in 1999.
Australia had raced to 44-0 before Babar struck twice in the 14th over, inducing David Warner, who had scored his third successive test century in the first innings, to come out of the crease for a smart stumping when he was on 29 with his first ball and then trapped Alex Doolan (nought) leg before with his last.
Michael Clarke survived a review leg-before decision on nought off Shah before trapped in front of the wicket in the leg-spinner’s next over for three.
Shah made it 4-49 catching nightwatchman Nathan Lyon in front of the wicket on a day dominated by Pakistan. Younis hit a record making 103 not out and Shehzad 131 to bolster Pakistan to 286-2 declared.
Younis added 168 for the second wicket with Shehzad as Pakistan plundered 248 runs after resuming at 38-0. Younis swept Steve O’Keefe to square-leg boundary for his sixth boundary to get to his second hundred in the match following his 106 in Pakistan’s 454 in the first innings.
Australia conceded a big 151-run lead after being dismissed for 303 in their first knock. Younis became the seventh Pakistani batsmen, but first against Australia, to score twin hundreds in a Test.
