Pakistan have not only enjoyed an exciting series win in Sri Lanka but, largely under the radar, attained the status of number three in the ICC Test rankings. Once the home nation levelled the series at Colombo, you would be forgiven for thinking that Pakistan would have folded in the Pallekele finale. Indeed, when Angelo Mathews stuck around to extend Sri Lanka’s lead to 376, the visitors were in unknown territory in relation to their target.
But Pakistan have Younis Khan. He and Azhar Ali have been in fantastic form in the past few years. Their avalanche of runs, with the added contribution of skipper Misbah-ul-Haq, simply swept the Aussies away in the UAE last year. They then drew 1-1 with New Zealand and the centuries continued to stack up in the series victory over Bangladesh. Azhar Ali and Mohammed Hafeez both passed 200 in an innings and the opposition bowlers must have grown tired of facing them.
Nevertheless, Pakistan were struggling at 13-2 before opener Shan Masood was joined by Younis. With almost two days remaining, they could easily have dug in to grind out the runs. They didn’t, and by stumps on the fourth day, they were 230-2, both batsmen having reached three figures. Surely they couldn’t pull off Pakistan’s highest ever run chase?
Shan was stumped off Kaushal on 125 but Misbah’s arrival made no difference to the momentum. Younis Khan moved serenely on to 171 and Misbah clinched the match and the series with a six. What a game, what a series and what a load of records were achieved on that final day!
It was Younis’ seventh hundred in the past year, and the highest fourth innings score by a Pakistani in their history. He is unusual in that when he hits 50, more often than not he proceeds all the way to 100. Furthermore, only once before have two Pakistan batsmen hit hundreds in a fourth innings of a Test
So far I’ve only mentioned the batsmen, yet it was a bowler who was named Player of the Series, and deservedly so. Junaid Khan and Wahab Riaz get most of the plaudits and Saeed Ajmal is twirling for Worcestershire instead of for Pakistan. So it may be a surprise that, in three matches, it was Yasir Shah who claimed an impressive 24 wickets. That included a 7-76, 6-96 and 5-78, and he not only took more wickets than anybody else, but had the lowest average and economy rate.
Still without a home series, it’s great to see Pakistan up there, with New Zealand threatening the big two, Australia and South Africa. Test cricket is not all about the Ashes and batting isn’t solely the reserve of Cook, Smith, Clarke and Root. Younis Khan deserves to be considered amongst the modern greats alongside Kallis, Ponting, Chanderpaul and Tendulkar, and Misbah as one of the leading captains.
