Pakistan middle order fights back

Middle-order batsman Yousaf Youhana and captain Moin Khan led a Pakistani fightback with a gutsy partnership on the first day of the second Test against England at Faisalabad on Wednesday.

When stumps were drawn eight overs early due to bad light, Pakistan were 243-5, with Youhana on 61 and Moin Khan on 57, sharing a badly needed 92-run sixth wicket stand.

Youhana followed his career-best 124 in the drawn first Test in Lahore with another display of patience peppered with sweetly timed drives for eight boundries.

Khan hit five fours and two towering sixes off spinner Ashley Giles and Craig White to the delight of the 10,000-strong crowd at Iqbal stadium.

Pakistan elected to bat on a grassless pitch that has the potential to spin and keep low with time.

The hosts got off to a flyer, reaching 50 after just nine overs despite a fearesome opening spell from Darren Gough, who hit opener Shahid Afridi twice with attempted bouncers, including once in the back of the head.

Afridi replied to the second body-blow with some brutality of his own, clubbing the next ball with a straight pull shot ball back over the bowler's head for four. But Gough had the last laugh when Afridi edged the following delivery to the slips with just 10 runs to his name.

Then, with the score 96-1 Pakistan had a mini-collapse, losing Saeed Anwar and Inzamam-ul-Haq in the space of three balls to go to lunch at 97-3.

Left hander Anwar looked dangerous, hitting seven fours in his 25th half-century, before he skied a catch to Graham Thorpe at mid-wicket off Giles for 53 just before the break.

Three balls later Haq was out for a duck when a tentative push forward saw the ball roll onto his stumps.

Anwar had received good support from Salim Elahi, who was eventually out for 41 when he swiped a wide delivery from Giles to Michael Atherton in the covers. The pair had put on 63 runs for the second wicket.

Youhanna, a centurion in the first Test, was patience personified as he helped to get Pakistan's innings back on track after lunch. He and Khan repaired the damage with some cautious batting, as the boisterous crowd celebrated every stroke with drum beats and music.

Youhanna reached his 11th fifty in 157 minutes off 128 balls. Khan, the more adventurous of the two, reached his 15th half-century with a six off Giles.

The match has added significance for Pakistan as it is the 100th Test for former captain Wasim Akram.

"Playing 100 Tests is a great honour for me and I have enjoyed every bit of my career," Akram said after his teammates presented him with a golden plate at the start of the match.

Akram becomes the third Pakistani and 24th player in the history of the game to play 100 or more Tests.

"I have always felt pride in playing for Pakistan and will continue to do so as long as I am fit, performing and motiovated," Akram, 34, said.

Pakistan dropped the out of form Mushtaq Ahmed and Qaiser Abbas from the line-up in the drawn first Test while England made no changes.

Nineteen-year-old leggy Danish Kaneria made his Test debut while off-spinner Arshad Khan earned a recall for Pakistan.

Scoreboard

Pakistan (1st innings):
Saeed Anwar c Thorpe b Giles 53
Shahid Afridi c Thorpe b Gough 10
Salim Elahi c Atherton b Giles 41
Inzamam-ul-Haq b Giles 0
Yousuf Youhana not out 61
Abdur Razzaq b White 9
Moin Khan not out 57
Extras (b-1 lb-9 nb-2) 12

Total (for five wickets, 75 overs) 243

To bat: Wasim Akram, Saqlain Mushtaq, Danish Kaneria, Arshad Khan Fall of wickets: 1-33, 2-96, 3-96, 4-130, 5-151

Bowling (to date): Gough 14-1-60-1 (nb1), Caddick 13-3-42-0 (nb1), White 16-4-45-1, Giles 22-7-57-3, Salisbury 10-0-29-0

England: Mike Atherton, Marcus Trescothick, Nasser Hussain, Garaham Thorpe, Graeme Hick, Alec Stewart, Craig White, Ashley Giles, Ian Salisbury, Andrew Caddick, Darren Gough

Mail Cricket Editor