Opener Mohammad Hafeez scored a brilliant 97 under pressure to help Pakistan stage a comeback in the third and final cricket Test against England here on Tuesday.
The 35-year-old was just three runs away from his ninth Test hundred as he took Pakistan to 146 for three at close on the third day, leading by 74 runs with seven wickets intact.
Night-watchman Rahat Ali was the other not out batsman on zero as Pakistan lost the key wicket of Younis Khan for 14, trapped leg-before by fast bowler Stuart Broad with just two overs to go in the day.
But Hafeez held the innings together well, smashing nine boundaries and three sixes during his aggressive 155-ball knock as Pakistan seeks to avoid squandering a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. It won the second Test while the first Test ended in a draw.
Malik scalps four
Earlier, off-spinner Shoaib Malik took a career-best four for 33 as England was bowled out for 306 in its first innings, taking a 72-run lead over Pakistan’s total of 234. James Taylor top-scored with 76.
Pakistan was lucky not to lose Hafeez after Australian umpire Bruce Oxenford gave him caught behind off paceman James Anderson in the fifth over of the innings with the score on four. But Hafeez, then on two, challenged the decision and got away on referral as TV replays showed there was a gap between ball and bat, much to the relief of the Pakistan camp.
When England resumed at 222 for four, its hopes of a big lead rested on the shoulders of Taylor and Jonny Bairstow but Rahat broke through in the fifth over of the day, forcing an edge off Taylor to ‘keeper Sarfraz Ahmed. Taylor’s 226-minute vigil had six fours and he added 89 for the fifth wicket with Bairstow who also didn’t last long.
Left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar claimed Bairstow with a sharp delivery which came with the arm as the batsman failed to connect a cut and was bowled. — AFP