First Test: Pakistan on course for victory over Australia
Sunday 26 October 2014 12:28, UK
Pakistan need six wickets on the final day of the first Test against Australia to wrap up victory after dominating the fourth day in Dubai.
Centuries from Ahmed Shehzad and Younis Khan, the latter following up 106 in his first innings with 103 not out, were followed by an Australian batting collapse before the close.
Having established a first-innings lead of 151 on Friday, which they pushed out to 189 with 10 wickets standing by the close, Pakistan declared on 286-2 to set Australia a 438-run winning target.
It would set a world record for a fourth-innings Test run chase were Australia to get there, but by the close they were in disarray on 59-4, undone by spinners Zulfiqar Babar and Yasir Shah and 379 runs shy of their target.
Warner, fresh from making 133 in Australia's first innings, had typically starting his innings at a whirlwind pace.
Yet he came unstuck on 29, stumped by Sarfraz Ahmed off Babar after dashing down the pitch and being deceived by the flight of the ball.
Five deliveries later and Babar had his second victim, pinning new batsman Doolan lbw to leave Australia 44 for two.
Crisis
A precarious position became crisis point when Shah struck twice in the 17th over, the leg-spinner earning leg-before decisions against captain Clarke and Lyon.
Opener Chris Rogers survived the chaos to reach 23 not out by the close, but Australian hopes of taking any reward from the first match in the two-Test series were looking bleak.
It was a day for Shehzad to fondly remember, with the 22-year-old in his sixth Test bringing up his second century at this level, reaching 131 before falling to Steve O'Keefe. Shehzad and Younis had put on 168 for the second wicket after Azhar Ali fell for 30, also to O'Keefe, in the morning session.
For Younis this match marks the first time the 36-year-old has made twin centuries in a Test. He had gone close before, perhaps most notably in Bangalore nine years ago when his 267 and 84 not out spurred Pakistan to an emphatic win over India.
