Younis steadies the ship

Younis Khan carried on from where he left off in the first Test as he played another solid innings for Pakistan on the second day of the second Test against Zimbabwe at Harare Sports Club on Wednesday.

Younis followed up a match-winning double century in the first Test with an unbeaten 52 as Pakistan reached 163 for three at the close of play in reply to Zimbabwe’s first innings total of 294.

When he reached 50 for the 49th time in Test cricket Younis became the fourth Pakistan batsman to reach 7000 runs in Tests.

Cautious approach

Second day scorecard

Zimbabwe, first innings (overnight 237-8) T Mawoyo c Akmal b J Khan 0 V Sibanda b Rahat Ali 14 H Masakadza c Hafeez b S Ajmal 75 B Taylor lbw b Abdur Rehman 51 M Waller c A Akmal b Junaid Khan 23 E Chigumbura b Abdur Rehman 15 R Mutumbami c A Akmal b Junaid Khan 8 P Utseya c Rahat Ali b Junaid Khan 22 T Panyangara b Rahat Ali 24 T Chatara lbw b Abdur Rehman 21 B Vitori not out 19 Extras 22 Total (109.5 overs) 294 Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Mawoyo), 2-31 (Sibanda), 3-141 (Masakadza), 4-172 (Waller), 5-176 (Taylor), 6-187 (Mutumbami), 7-203 (Chigumbura), 8-234  (Panyangara), 9-248 (Utseya) Pakistan first innings K Manzoor run out (Chigumbura) 51 M Hafeez c Masakadza b Vitori 22 AAli lbw b Panyangara 7 Y Khan not out 52 M-ul-Haq not out 27 Extras 4 Total (3 wkts, 68 overs) 163 Fall of wickets: 1-29 (Hafeez), 2-62 (Azhar), 3-96 (Manzoor) Bowling: Panyangara 13-3-30-1, Vitori 16-5-42-1, Chatara 18-5-28-0, Masakadza 9-4-18-0, Utseya 12-0-41-0

Batsmen of both sides played cautiously on a slow pitch. Only five wickets fell in the day, while 222 runs were scored.

As in the first Test, Younis batted patiently against steady bowling. With several prominent cracks in the pitch he stretched well forward to most deliveries, with bat and pad close together to combat any unpredictable bounce.

Younis and fellow veteran Misbah-ul-Haq will resume on Thursday, after putting on 67 for the fourth wicket. They came together soon after tea when opening batsman Khurram Manzoor was run out for 51.

Younis faced 127 balls and hit six fours, while Misbah made 27 not out off 88 deliveries.

Manzoor, who was recalled for the Zimbabwe series after more than three years out of the Test team, survived confident appeals for a catch behind and leg before wicket early in his innings.

He showed good timing as he hit nine fours in reaching his fourth Test half-century off 119 balls, but his innings came to an end when he played the ball to leg and set off for a run.

He was sent back by Younis and could not beat Elton Chigumbura’s throw to wicketkeeper Richmond Mutumbami.

Pakistan endured a frustrating morning as their bowlers struggled to dislodge the Zimbabwe tail.

Junaid Khan took his fourth wicket of the innings when Prosper Utseya hooked a short ball to deep backward square leg after making a stubborn 22 off 82 balls. Junaid finished the innings with four for 67.

Tendai Chatara and Brian Vitori put on 46 for the last wicket before left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman ended Zimbabwe’s resistance when he trapped Chatara leg before wicket for 21. Rehman took three for 47.

Manzoor and Mohammad Hafeez put on 29 for Pakistan’s first wicket before Hafeez was caught at first slip off left-arm opening bowler Vitori for 22 – his highest score in five Test matches in 2013.

Azhar Ali made seven before he was leg before to Tinashe Panyangara.